Evening star., 1927-11-26
WATSON |NDORSES
RADIO COMMISSION
Senator Holds Federal Body
Has Justified Existence
Despite Decisions.

at is my deliberate judgment. after
a careful survey Of the entire situa-
ton, that the Federal Radio Commits
sion has fully justified its creation and
that. Notwithstanding the many dis
appointments that its decisions have
occasioned. it ought to and will receive
the unstinted support of grateful
people"
cent radio address by Senator James
+. Watson of Indiana, Republican,
upon whom will probably devolve a
large share of the uncertain task or
seeking legislation from the forthcom
ing Seventeen Congress to extend the
life of the commission beyond March
is. 1928, when its administrative du
ties lapse and it becomes a sort of
"court" for appeals from decisions TO
be made by the radio division OF the
Department of Commerce.
Senator Watson was chairman of the
conference committee which framed
the radio act of 1927. which was
compromise between opposing views
of the House and Senate. The father
of the radio act, however. was Senator
Dill of Washington, a Democrat, VINO
is reported 10 be in concurrence with
his colleague of the opposing party
in the view that the commission should
be continued. On the House side Rep
resentative Wallace White of Maine
has expressed similar satisfaction with
the results achieved by the commits
sion.
The Indiana Senator attributes i'm
provement in the quality of programs
being offered TO the public to the fact
that the commission judges stations
on the standard of public service. he
has in mind empowering this commls-
sion. or another one similarly consti-
tuted, with even greater poWefS-the
regulation and supervision of all COM
munication services, whether radio,
telegraph or telephone.
Such a Federal control body has
also been urged by Senator Couzens
of Michigan but the suggestion has
met with very little favor in Congress.
Senator Watson and Senator Couzens
both. however. have said they would
introduce bills at the next session to
provide for Federal regulation and su-
pervision of all forms of electrical
communications.
Today the only regulation of tele.
phone and telegraph services is func-
ton Of the Interstate Commerce Com.
mission. That body. involved in the
great task of regulating the railroads.
has paid scant attention to communi-
cations. 1t Is required to act on ques-
tions Of rates and the like only upon
application, and such applications are
seldom made.
Compositions of Dvorak, Beethoven.
Debussy and Liszt have been included
in the program Of the New York
Symphony Orchestra, which will be
heard through WRC tonight during
the r. c. A. hour. Under the baton
OF Walter Damrosch. the orchestra
will play Dvorak's overture, "Carni-
val"; the alegretto from Symphony
No. z in A." by Beethoven. and De-
bussy's "Andantino." Another selec-
tion to be played is Rubin Goldmark's
''The Call of the Plains"
The musical comedy, "Mademoiselle
Modiste," with FRITZ Scheff in the
stellar role, will be broadcast as the
Philco hour. This attraction is sched.
uled at 9 o'clock.
WRC's dinner music will be pro-
vided by the st. Marks and May
flower Orchestras. while the late dance
program will come from the Palais
dor, in New York.
WMAL's musical attractions tonight
include dance programs by the Colum.
bians and the Chateau-Thierry RAM
blers, mandolin and guitar solos by
Sophocles T. Papas and recital by
Mathide Kolb, contralto.
Interspersing these features will be
the fourth of a series Of talks by
Lieut.. Col. H. Edmund Bulls on "Out-
posts Of the Orient" The topic to-
night will be Java. the Crowded
Isle"
WRHF, the Washington Radio Hos
pital Fund committees station, will
introduce new feature tonight in the
form of children's period, conducted
by Evelyn Reichard. This attraction
will be broadcast regularly every Sat
urday evening from $50 to 6 o'clock,
and will include bedtime stories and
children's songs.
The regular dinner concert from 6
to o'clock will be made up entirely
OF request numbers.
Despite fading, heterodyne squeals
and an occasional rumble of static, ra-
dio reception conditions last night
were encouraging to the long range
dialers. Distant stations in all sec.
tions, and there were several score of
them tunable. responded with tremen-
dous volume. The Chicago stations
were particularly vociferous.