Evening star., 1924-03-23
Hoover Optimistic on Passage
Of Radio Regulation Proposal
BelieUes Bill Sponsored by White Is Good-W ouid
Discourage Monopolies and Proride for Orderly
Conduct of Public Communication.


Company, appearing before the COM
mittee at the second days hearings,
SAID that his company had mo inten-
ton or desire to monoDoliZe the air,
as had been charged. He said that in
general his company was in favor of
the White bill. but made a few Sug
gestions. indicating that an appeal
-Nould he allowed from the decision
Of the Secretary of Commerce in the
mHtter of granting licenses to broad
casting stations. In the event the
Secretary of Commerce is about to re-
woke license for any reason, he be-
heves that the offender should be al
lowed to remedy any violation of the
law before the license is revoked. No
objection was made TO the monopoly
provisions provided in the bill. When
Mr. WILSON'S attention was called 10
these provisions, he stated that his
company was thoroughly in sympathy
with them. Answering questions of
members of the committee, Mr.. Will
son stated that the Telephone Com
pany had licenses for a number of
ST, tionS for broadcasting, and that the
Western Ele ctric Comp ny had sold
fortV-nine broadcaSting station equip
mentS.
Advertising Rate Cited.
William L. Hardness, who followed
him on the stand, stating that he was
""oadc'"ttf * manager to the Ameri
can Telephone and Telegraph COM
pdny, sad that while no definite ad-
Nertising policy has yet been adopted
by the company, a rate is now being
charged of 500 for ten minutes, or
$500 per hour. In connection with the
broadcasting of advertising Mr.. Hark
ness explained that it had to meet
with the approval of .listenerS-in."
He said that the company was desir-
Gus of presenting both sides of con-
troversy during the same evening, if
possible. The company does not
" n .aytNE
ticular propaganda in its broadcast
ing, he declared, and made no effort
to conceal advertising.
When Judge Davis. q member of
the committee, asked Mr.. Harkness if
he did not favor the appointment of a
board or commission to have juriS-
diction over radio communicate
rather than the Department of Com
merce he replied that he had no pref
erence in the matter. Judge Davis,
however, said that in his opinion the
government would do something of
the kind. Broadcasting from WEAF,
Mr.. Hardness advised, cost approx
mately s250.000 last year, while the
company did not receive half that
amount through advertising. He told
the committee broadcasting stations
We're spending anywhere from $4,000
to 100000 a year. The telephone
for. receiving amusement programs
and does not contemplate such a step
in the future, he added.
X. B. Warner, secretary of the
American Radio Relay beague, said
that from the standpoint of his as
sociation the present law was salts
factory, and to that extent, it is op-
posed to the new White bill. He
asked that provision be inserted
referring specifically to amateur ra-
dio operators, explaining that they
would need protection for the future.
The league is anxious to secure def
mite recognition for amateurs, he. con-
tinued. Taking issue with Commander
Bingham of the Navy, Mr.. Warner
said that he Favored licenses for
operators since they made for efti-
cheney. He also favored fees for
these licenses, since this would al
low more frequent inspection by the
and better enforcement
of the law.
Oppose License Proposal.
l. l.. Lee, chief of the radio divi-
vision Of the Fleet Corporation, and
John Nicholson of the Legislative
peared before the committee, oppos-
ing both the issuance of licenses to |
operators and the collection of fees |
for the same.
Mr.. Lee told the committee that if |,
he White bill is enacted into a law !
it would prevent the use of radio by !
Shipping Board vessels, except at an i
additional expense of about 100000 |
a year. He pointed out that radio !
is very great help in the saving |
free from as much additional eX-
pensc as possible He thought that (
even freighters should be equipped /
with radio. but he objected if the |
vessels properly equipped with radio |
in the interest of safety and in ac-
cordanco with the law He told the |
committee that as far as he had been |;
charged fees for its vesGeIs radio I
equipment. adding that the fees pro- |
vided for in the White bill for Vessels |
were most unusual"
Maj. j. o. Mauborgne. of the Army !!
Signal Corps read a letter to the !:
from the Secretary of War !;
against several features of I
the bill as being "prejudicial to the :
defense of the country" He !
pointed out the need for leaving the |,
4 rmy in the hands of the Secretary of |
War instead of the Secretary of Com |
nerce, and asked for special recogni- !
ton Of the Army in the bill.
During the course of his testimony
ne said that the Department of Com |
nerce stands on the policy that it |
reps~ents the commercial radio in /
ters-'ts of the country as against the !
With the exceptions noted in !
his testimony, Maj. Mauborgne said !
that the War Department is in SYM !
pathy with the White bill. !
"Freedom of Radio.- :
The appearance of David Sarnoff, |
vice president Of the Radio Corpora !
ton, was heralded with considerable :
Mr sarnon h pointsd nesd dof 69f ;
that a common sense compromise" |
between the benefits of private ini- !
tiative and the evils of destructive 3:
of OF ha
lieves in the freedom of radio and the :,
freedom of speech in broadcasting, he
explained. 1t is his conviction that ,
broadcasting can be made CONNER :
from the receiving end; it's value lies
in it's universally and it's ability to
reach all, and he objects to selling it
to few. which he said would become
''narrowcasting."
The Radio Corporation of Ameri-
cas- ambition, he Indicated, is to put
radio within the reach of everybody.
and the corporation will support eff
forts of the Congress to enact legis-
lation in the public interest and will
not hamper further radio develop
ment. Likening broadcasting to bar
at which causes may be pleaded be.
fore public opinion, he pointed out
that if there had been broadcasting
in 1858 there might have been no
civil war; the Lincoln-Douglas de-
bates might have been broadcast to
the whole nation, and Lincoln might
have achieved his peaceful program.
Those appearing on the last days
hearings included Judge S. B. Davis,
solicitor of the Department of Com
merce; J. Harry Covington, repre-
senting the Tropical Radio Telegraph
and c. Francis Jenkins.
inventor, Washington, d. c.
Judge Davis Presents Views.
Judge Davis, on behalf of Secre-
tary Hoover, stated that in accord
ance with suggestions made by vari-
Gus witnesses before the committee, !
the department wants review of de-
cisions rendered by the Secretary of
Commerce in connection with licenses