Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-05-07
SENATE RADIO BILL
ADDS TO MIDDLE
Sets Up New Commission Not
Desired by Coolidge-May
Include Phones.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Radio control. which has for The
last three wears been pulling manu-
facflrerS as well as owners OF broad
casting stations, Is in worse tanSle
than ever today.
The Senate has reported favorahlN
the bill sponsored by Senator Din of
Washington. Democrat. which - dlt
ferent from the provisions of the
w hne bill passed by the House of
REPRESENTATIVE and directly contrary
"a the wishes Of President Coolidge
nd Secretary Hoover.
Several conflicting principles are
Involved First. the President has set
himself firmly against any more IN
dependent commissions. He has had
trouble enough with the Tariff Com
mission. the Federal Trade Commits
sion and personnel problems in the
makeup Of the Interstate Commerce
Commission. Now it is proposed
under the DIN measure TO have an
independent commission appointed by
the President. but subject TO the con
troi of Congress. These independent
establishments have become a thorn
in The side Of the Coolidge administra
tion
Coolidge Defines Position.
The President insists thai mas
much as Congress puts 1t up to The
Executive 10 select the personnel. he
should have complete jurisdiction
over the tunCtioning Of the commits
-ionr. Ills argument il that the bi.
rartie2r commission gets into dead
lock and stops funCtioninc. Mr.. Cool
ldee sides with Mr.. Hoover In the
~rntention that these commissions
should be a parr Of the executive de
p;rtmente and subject to executive
administration.
y foI radio. there has been some
critIciSm Of Mr.. Hoover from some
"f The hroadcasting stations. In fact,
u would have been surprising if there
had not been, in view of the unusual
~ complicated situation over wave
lencths. and il may he that the Senate
report Is a direct outgrowth of the
deere Of some Of the radio people to
aN"id regulation by the Department
Of commerce.
rs fnr the larger manufacturers.
they sec advantages in some form of
control, and they are content with the
nltsfNt mana Cenlent Of affairs BY the
D"nartment Of Commerce.
The significance of the report by
nc Senate on the Dill bill is that
congress is beginning TO tackle the
whole subject Of communications, and
j would not be surprising il tee-
graph and telephones were in some
WAY brought under the supervision
nf new commission instead Of being
handled. AZ at present. under the
Interstate Commerce Commission.
The latter commission is SO over
worked with railroad cases that It's
remhers have never had much time
for the thorough study Of commu-
nication tanEles.
May Enlarge Its Scope.
Il The radio commission Is eSta b.
liehed II VIII he short step to the
addition If telephone and telegraph
to its tasks though At present there
Is nothing about the telegraph or the
telephone which is causing any pub
liz discussion so far as interstate bust
ness Is concerned, Congress. how
ever has shown A disposition 10 in
Quire into the relationship Of one
form of communication to another
and # new commission is formed
there will be discussion about adding
telegraph and telephone to its func-
tions.
The situation Is very much in the
hands of Mr.. Coolidge. who opposes
commission control altogether. lie
may decide to veto a bill which gives
him another commission to appoint.
though in the last analysis he would
he guided by what the radio world
would advise. The Hoover regime
has been rather popular with the IA
die fans, especially the amateur send
erS and the administration may be in
clined To take its stand because of 4
feclins that the support Of the. Hoover
policy will be sufficient TO offset the