Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-09
KEEP POLITICS OUT OF RADIO
LEGISLATION, HARBORD URGES
Axiom That Best Governed Nation Is Least Governed
Applies to New Industry as Well as Others,
He Declares.

make 1nneX1DIe statutes 1Or an arr
that is as flexible as the air. is to VIC
late the very laws of scientific and
technical development. 1t is to work
a public injury, under the guise OF
governmental regulation.
Selflshness Pointed Out.
Under the present development of
the art there are only SO bands OF
wave lengths available within the con.
fines Of the United States, or approx
mately one-tenth the number Of sta
tions now in operation or projected in
the immediate future. On the other
hand there is a growing tendency on
the part Of some established stations,
as we'll as many new stations to ar
btrarily and selfishly appropriate to
their own use many desired wave
lengths regardless of It's prior use to
the satisfaction Of the public. There
can be no reasonable objection to the
proper regulation Of the other, and
one court Of competent jurisdiction
has already spoken against wave
length piracy.
Virtually all other problems en-
braced in the proposed radio legisla-
ton are adequately covered by exist
ing laws.
lengths sufficiently proves the fact
that there are many more persons
and interests eager, able and willing
to supply the facilities Of broadcast
transmission than there are wave
lengths to accommodate them. With
610 broadcasting stations dotting the
country. there are great regions of
unserved territories on the radio map.
There are still many hundreds of
thousands of homes only within whis-
pering distance of a good broadcast
ing station. There are still many mill
lions of people whom radio has not
reached. There are existing laws
against monopoly which cover all
industry, and there is neither need
nor reason to single out radio for spe-
cial legislative treatment in this re-
spect.
I would not, of course, seek to
exempt radio communication or the
radio industry from proper govern
mental regulation. I believe in fair
and wise regulation Of utilities and
trade practices. To such regulations
we offer no objection. The test, how
ever, Of such regulation is that 1t be
in the interest of the public. Regu-
lation which would retard or throttle
the continued and almost phenomenal
development of radio would not be in
the interest Of the public. Further
more, 1t would menace the greatest
fundamentally for the dissemination
of education. news and entertainment
since the invention Of the printing
press.
All Not Destructive.
Not all the proposed radio legisla-
ton now pending is. in my opinion, de-
structive. Measures are available in
the form of bills also now pending in
Congress which provide, among other
things, for f1ve-year terms for station
licenses, for what they term "just
compensation" for use Of privately
owned stations Communicated by the
Government, more conservative and
less expensive radio commission, and
which do not provide for handling of
commercial business by Government
stations or restrictions as to sale
prices of stations or operation of ex-
perimental stations.
My sympathy goes out to those who
are honestly animated by desire to
frame radio legislation In the interest
of the public good. Hasty or i'll
considered legislation will have
exactly the contrary effect. Attempts
to regulate other than the immediate
problems that require regulation will
defeat the purposes Of legislation.
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