Evening star., 1928-02-24
|RAD|O BILL ACTION
PLANNED BY HOUSE
Leaders Seek to Assure
Passage by Placing Meas
.ure Under Special Rule.

ure Under SpeCidl nule.
Early action on the radio bill seems
nrobahle under the plan OF House lead
ers to bring about its passage under a
.nee,ai rule SO that 1t may be sent to
conference with the Senate. An ele-
ment In the latter body, however. is
said TO be planning to hitch the leg
islative procedure in order that dis
satisfaction with radio conditions may
be used as a political weapon against
the presidential aspirations of the
Secretary of Commerce. Herbert
Hoover.
The suhversive maneuvering. it is
said, will be directed against securing
agreement of the two houses on the
bill extending the life of the Federal
Radio Commission for another year;
That is. a deadlock would be created
to last beyond March Is when. under
the existing radio law. the control over
radio automatically passes to the Dc
partment of Commerce unless supple
n,entary legislation is enacted.
Situation Is Outlined
Instead of having the Federal Radio
Commission cope with the gigantic
problem presented by radio, the thought
Is TO impose the task on the depart
ment's radio division which is directly
responsible to Secretary Hoover. The
body, as contemplated by the radio
act of last year.
Whether there is strong support of
this purely political scheme cannot be
learned. but the dangers to the Hoover
cause are obvious, Burdened already
with huge tasks. the Secretary of Com
merce is known not to relish the
thought Of assuming control over radio
at this time He is known to favor the
plan to leave the broadcasting and
xhort-wave problems in the hands of
the Radio Commission for at least one
more year.
On the one-year extension feature
both the Senate and the House SO far
agree, with small minority element dis
senting The Senate several weeks ago
passed the bill extending the commits
sion until March Is. 1929. but added an
amendment terminating the terms Of
the present commissioners at that time.
subcommittee Action.
A subcommitte of the House has re-
ported favorably on the one-year ex-
tension. but struck out the termination
feature. On this score. it is expected
to stand pat in conference with the
Senate
Representative Rowbottom OF Indiana
chairman of the subcommittee. said it.
vas the opinion of the majority Of its
members that If more legislation than
the extension and limitation of station
licenses is wanted there should be fur
ther hearings. The Senate bill makes
the term of broadcast station licenses
not more than six months and that uf
other stations not more than one year.
The House bill would change these
terms TO three months and six months
1t is not unlikely that the House will
pass the measure in a day or two, for
the administration forces are behind it.
Then ii goes to conference with the
Senate. 1t remains to be seen whether
there Is substance in the suggestion
that radio legislation purposely will be
deadl0cked in order TO be used as po-
litical biudeeon over the head Of Mr.
Hoover
Selections from Gilbert and Suliivan's
Operetta The Mikado," will be featured
In The hour program Of the Cities Serv-
ice Orchestra which will be heard over
W kk1 ADii2SnE db o U C&DLk- LIE 13ittS
Service Cavaliers, male quartet. viii
feature q medley of old-time songs.
TSchaikowskys Sleeping Beauty
waltz and "Barcarole, both taken
from famous ballets, will be featured in
the concert OF the Whittau Anglo
Persians.
WRCx other attractions include the
Lord Calvert Quintet, the Palmolive
Hour and the Star Radio half hour
featuring Jimmy Rodgers.
The Arthur Jordan Music Forum,
wMALs chief feature tonight. will pre-
sent Joseph Crominas. baritone. who
took second prize in the Atwater Kent
audition In the Washington district,
and a group of other artists.
Dance music by Horace Walker and
his orchestra. and recitals by Norris
Eorrine Dain. composer-pianist; Sal
yatore Carta. tenor. and Joseph Bruno,
baritone, are among other features.
Ralph y. Fleharty, peoples counsel
before the Public Utilities Commission.
will make his radio debut through
WRHF at s O'Clock. He will describe
the street car merger agreement, the
outstanding current topic Of discussion
In Washington.
Besides Mr. Fleharty's talk there will
bc ACSoIssS VI municipal Scs1lA3HeDt
Affairs, the tri-weekly children's period
conducted by Miss Evelyn Reichard.
dinner concert and some more Literary
Latheg." by TONY the Barber"
The Kalupoiis Grotto Orchestra and
the Royal Hawaiians will provide the
principal musical attractions tonight of
WTFF. There also viii be vocal selec-
tons by Chick Godfrey, known as the
singing Leatherneck," and Margaret
Allison, soprano. and banjo. and violin
duets by Orcley Fart and William Pts
tol.