Evening star., 1928-05-17
DISCOUNT PATENT
MONOPOLY IN RADIO
independents" Declared to
Control Enough Devices to
Disregard "Trusts."

Are there enough patents in the
hands of the independents" with which
they can equip their projected services
10 snan the seas via radio? This ques-
tion occurs naturally as consequence
of the ambitious programs for trans
oceanic radio services laid before the
Federal Radio Commission this week
hv various interests. IL was put 10
the leading applicants for the etneF
channels across the oceans.
An unqualified affirmative was the
renlp of the radio chief Of the Mackay
Radio a. Telegraph Co. William j.
Herdman. Using S-kilowatt tubes Tor
its transpacific relays. the MacEay sys-
TEN claims it can fully maintain
service from its Palo Alto key, station
to the Far and Near East. At its Say
VILE station on the Atlantic, it pro-
poses to use 40-kilowatt tubes for the
''jumps" to European countries and
South America.
Denies "Throttling" Radio.
Charles Evans Hughes. jr. Mackay
counsel. asserted that the telegraph
cable company, which is seeking to CO.
ordinate its cables with radio and COM
pete directly with the present world
wide wireless system of the Radio Cor
poration of America. had obtained an
ample supply of patents through its
acquisition Of the Federal Telegraph
Co of California last year, BY June l,
IN fact. he promised that the Palo Alto
Honolulu radio circuit, already licensed.
will be in operation.
The Mackay interests said the son
the former Chief Justice, mean buSi-
ness in the radio field, and he resented
implications that its purpose was TO
throttle" radio for the benefit of the
cables.
The American publishers committee.
composed OF the group of newspapers
and press associations seeking to carry
their foreign news through their own
radio stations, was less committal on
the score Of patents. Its chairman.
Joseph Pierson, said that dependence
upon the trust" for the water-cooled
tube patents needed for high-powered
distance transmission was the least of
the press groups worries. He would not
say what patents are at its disposal,
however.
Independents" Have Chance.
Through its patent control and cross
license agreements with the General
Electric, Westinghouse and United
Fruit Co. it was thought at first that
the Radio Corporation of America could
repel competition by refusing to license
its patented equipment to rivals. But
the chief element of tranSoceanic equip
n1ent. the high-power transmitting tube,
seems 10 be available to the "inde-
pendents." If their general ana rather
cryptic statements are TO be accepted.
The Mackay company and the press
were not by any means the only appii-
cants. A newly formed company, the
Pacific Communication Syndicate Of San
Francisco, sought set Of channels with
which TO tnaugurate new radio sys-
TEN for communicating on 0 commercial
scale with Honolulu, Manila and the Far
East. The S. p. Radio Co., backed hy
anonymous New York stock brokerage
interests, asked for channels on which
TO transit the New York Stock Exchange
quotations TO foreign subscribers.
The Tropical Radio & Telegraph Co.
subsidiary OF the United Fruit, and the
Robert Dollar Steamship Co.. both al
ready IN the ship wireless business.
sought 10 retain their present channels
and to expand their services. The for
mer has an extensive Latin American
chain of wireless stations. The latter
has ship business only, and seeks the
right TO build shore stations OF 2O-kilo-
watt capacity at New York, Los An
geles, San Francisco, Portland. Seattle
and Honolulu.