The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-03-19
BILL IS PLANNED
To CONTROL RADIO
White Measure Would Reg
uIate Use of Air in
United States.

the secretary Oh COHlIIleFCe du-
thority to regulate radio com
munications in all the United
States and it's possessions. 1t is
intended by the author, Who had
the assistance of Representative
Davis, of Tennessee, and many
governmental officials in franz
ing the bill, that III. r. 1857"
will supersede the radio act OF
1912 and fully meet all present
Legislative requirements.
The new bill, which is now be-
fore the Merchant Marine and
Fisheries Committee, provides
that all transmitting ships and
shore stations and operators be
licensed at specified fees, but
exempts Government stations and
all receiving stations. The bill
confers upon the Secretary Of
Commerce general powers Of reg
ulations over all transmitting
stations, in the interest Of re-
ducing interference and the de-
Velopment of an orderly system
of communication. Certain OBJ
solete requirements have been
eliminated, antiquities clarified,
and new provisions Of importance
introduced.
The Secretary OF Commerce is
authorized to license, classify, To-
cate, assign calls, and supervise
all transmitting stations; control
the nature OF service rendered.
allocate wave lengths, prescribe
operating time and prevent inter
ference. The President Is given
authority to close or take over
any station in time OF war or
disaster
Station licenses may not be
issued to aliens, and all licenses
may be revoked or suspended
by the Commerce head. " hereas
present laws place no time limi-
tation upon licenses, time limit
for licenses is now authorized at
ten years. Special provisions
seek to promote efficiency cf
mobile stations, making for
safety of ships at sea, and re
ouire transmission for at least
loo miles.
No licenses are required for
receiving sets or stations, and NO
control over such sets IS at
tempted by the bill.
Transmitting amateurs are not
specifically provided for, but the
limitations of wave lengths and
power set forth in the 1912 hill
are eliminated. Under his gem
eral power to allocate wave
lengths, the Secretary Of Com.
merce may now assign amateurs
such wave lengths as the i'm
pOrtance of their work may make
advisable.
Revocation of licenses may be
made when provisions Of the bill
or it's regulation are broken or
whenever the Interstate Com
merce Commission, or another
proper body. shall find that a
licensee has failed to provide
reasonable facilities, or has
made any unjust charge, or has
instituted unreasonable practices
in connection with communica-
tions. All laws relating to
monopolies shall apply to radio
apparatus and communication.
the bill states, and in addition
to other penalties, licenses may
be revoked. The bill also pro.
vides for the application of the
"Cable Landing License Act" to
radio transmission to foreign
countries.
The Secretary of Commerce is
authorized to collect, in advance
of the issuance of licenses, fees
for both transmitting station
licenses and for operators
licenses.
a tranSoceanic station license
will cost $500 per annum: a
land commercial license a mini
mum of $50; a ship station H.
cense, $25; experimental station,
$25; technical and training school
licenses; SIS; special amateur,
$40, and general and restricted
amateur stations, $3.50. Opera
tors licenses run for two years
and range from $3.50 for extra
commercial class to $1.00 and
$3.50 for first and second class
amateurs.
Charges ranging from $3.50 to
$3.50 will be made for each ex-
animation, if the bill becomes a
law. The bill provides that all
fees collected for examinations
and licenses may be used to de.
fray part of the departments ex-
penses.
A maximum fine of $1,000 will
be imposed upon all persons who
violate provisions of the pend
ing bill or any regulations au-
thorized by it, within four
months after the passage Of the
act.
Before a radio station may be
erected in the future, a construc-
ton permit must be secured from
the Secretary of Commerce, set
ting forth all necessary informa-
ton and station.
The advisory committee au-
thorized will comprise members
APPOINTED by the Secretaries of