Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-24
MIKES lNSENATE
PROPOSED BY DILL
Senator Would Allow Chains
to Broadcast important
Debates From Chamber.
BY MARTIN CoDEL.

Broadcasting OF the proceedings Of
the United States Senate, especially
during debates on momentous issues, is
again proposed in resolution intro
duced by Senator Dill of Washington.
The resolution provides for installing
the desk Of each individual Senator with
microphone and wire connections to a
central switchboard.
AS a preliminary demonstration Of
the feasibility Of this broadcasting plan
Senator Dill is proposing that the hear
ingS on his resolution be broadcast from
the committee room by the national
chains. He is pressing for the consent
of the Senate committee on audit and
control, which has charge of such
| matters, having already obtained the
assurance Of one. chain that it will be
willing to broadcast the hearings.
1.-THE broadcasting Of the Senate pro-
ceedings on Inauguration day." said
Senator Dill. proved to be the most
instructive and popular feature that has
yet been sent out by radio.
Want Hearings Broadcast.
1.-THE time has come when the people
should be permitted to hear the Sena-
tors who represent them discuss legiS-
AutlOAl, particularly ouSIl udtlOlldI AoouCS
IS farm relief and the tariff, which are
now before us. Hearings on the resolu-
ton to make such broadcasting possible
would be an interesting preliminary"
II the necessary consent is obtained,
1t Is probable that the broadcast from
the committee room, where microphones
would be placed before each Senator,
would take place during the evening, in
order to attract a large audience. The
proposal to broadcast directly from the
Senate chamber, If adopted, opens up
the possibility that Senate sessions may
evolve into regular night meetings, like
those Of the British Parliament.
Senator Dill would have existing
broadcasting facilities used for the SEN
ate broadcasts rather than have the
Government erect a network for sta
tions of its own. A report by War and
Navy Department radio experts about
| two years ago discouraged proposals to
erect chain of Government stations
by showing that about Is high-powered
stations would be needed for such a
| service, and that the necessary wave
| lengths could not be obtained in the
present broadcasting band without
paralyzing existing broadcasting pro-
| grams.
COSt FiaceO AZ S3,SVV,VVV.
The report. prepared by Capt S. c.
Hooper Of the Navy and Col. J. o.
Mauborgne of the Army. also estimated
| the initial cost Of such a system at
about $4,000, 900, and the annual upkeep
and maintenance at nearly $1,200.000.
Whether Senator Dill can get farther
than the committee hearings with his
bill is highly problematical. There is a
known aversion among some Senators
to the idea of having the proceedings
broadcast. 1t took a special dispense
ton to have even the vice presidential
inaugural ceremonies broadcast by the
| two chains from the Senate chamber
last March 4, the first and only time
that a microphone has ever been in
stalled in the Upper House Of Congress
| Senator Dill'S idea Is to have only the
highly important debates go on the air
since the networks obviously could not
spare sufficient broadcasting hours for
the continued extensive talkfests for
which the Senate is noted. The plan of
the Senator from Washington is wholly
practicable, but is regarded in many
quarters as being premature by some
years.
Similar proposals have been made in
the British House Of Commons, where
the scheme did not materialize, and In
the German Reichstag, where such q
broadcaSting bill was defeated by vote
| Copyright, 1929. by North American News
paper Alliance)