Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-23
COOLIDGE FAVORS
RETAINING BOARD
President Would Extend Life
of Radio Commission for
Another Year.
BY MARTIN CODEL.

An expression of the adninistra-
tons attitude toward radio regulation
is now forthcoming for the first time
since President Coolidge's message to
Congress two years ago urged passage
of the bill establishing the Federal
Radio Commission. Broadly stated,
President Coolidge favorS another one
year extension of the administrative
functions of the commission and re-
Sarcs four OF the five present members
as available for reappointment.
CcnT1niG1::cner o. H. Caldwell of New
York alone has indicated to President
Coolidge that he wishes to retire when
his term lapses on February %. Mr..
Caldwell wishes to return to the trade
publishing business This leaves the
others apparently willing to remain,
but the president is represented at the
White House as having reached no def
mite conclusion REGARDING the future
membership of the Federal Radio Com
mission.
The opinion favoring continuation Of
the commissions administrative activi-
ties was stated by the White House
spokesman to be an offhand one. It
is assumed that Commissioners Robin
son. Sykes, Pickard and Lafount are
willing to remain. even if the bills to
extend the commission that are now
before Congress fail of enactment and
the commission after March Is becomes
an appellate body, considering only dis
puted questions and sitting only peri
odically.
Hoover Well Posted.
Whether President Coolidge will dis
cuss with President-elect Hoover the
future personnel of the commission was
not indicated. but it is apparent that
the matter has not vet been taken up.
Since the incoming President is one OF
the best posted men in radio by rea-
son of his stewardship over the air as
Secretary of Commerce, it has been
assumed that he would have something
to suggest about the men who shall
comprise the board during his admin
istration.
AS matters now stand, the terms OF
all the commissioners expire in exactly
one month. and their present admins
trative duties are due to revert to the
Department of Commerce after March
Is. President Coolidge must appoint
the commissioners before he leaves Of
flee. The Senate would be expected to
confirm them during the present short
session. There is an interim of only
eight days between February % and
March 4.
The open season for picking posi-
BILE successor to Commissioner Cald-
well is now at hand. The appointee
must necessarily come from the first
radio zone which embraces Maine, New
Hampshire. Vermont. Massachusetts,
Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York. !
New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, the
District of Columbia. Porto Rico and
10, fSrxs,@ Tell tAIc will
a Republican if the other two Repub- |
licans and two Democrats now on the |
board are retained.
Free of Entanglements.
Under the law no member of the |,
commission shall be financially inter- !
ested in the manufacture or sale of |
radio apparatus or in the transmission |
or operation of radio telegraphy, radio |
telephony or radio broadcasting. This |
is one Of the main difficulties in get |
ting available men who know the high |
ly involved radio situation. Unless the |
appointment is made purely political
and nearly all the commissioners have |
been appointed so far on the basis OF
other qualificationS-the field from
which the President may pick qualified
men is highly restricted.
Commissioner Caldwell, who has
been a leading spirit on the commits
sion since it was foromed, was the
combination Of an editor of radio trade
journals and a graduate electrical en-
gineer. Many of the engineers who
might qualify by reason Of their
technical knowledge and their execu-
tive ability are unavailable because they
are drawing patent royalties on radio
apparatus of their invention. Other
men from the manufacturing and
broadcasting industry have investments
which would prevent their taking the
place
Many names are already being dis
cussed for the Caldwell post, chief
among them being New York radio
editors, like Orrin Dunlap, jr.; Capt.
Robert Wood, Edgar Felix. Lloyd JAG
quet and E. L. Bragdon. Volney Hurd,
Boston editor, has been mentioned.
Among the engineers the outstand-
ing name brought forth is that of Capt.
Robert Marriott. an independent con-
sultant. The post would pay $4,000
for the year of administration, and
each commissioner would receive $50
per diem when the board sits on
appeals.
Copyright, 1929. by the North American
Newspaper Alliance.)