Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-16
MEMBER OPPOSES
BOARD'SEXTENS|ON
c. H. Caldwell Says Work OF
Radio Commission Should
Be Given Experts.
BY MARTIN CODEL.

First outspoken opposition to the pro-
posal to extend the administrative life
of the Federal Radio Commission for
another year came, oddly enough, from
one of the senior members of that COM
mission, Orestes H. Caldwell of New
York. Unique in the annals of Gov
eminent. the spectacle of member of
a Government agency urging that its
powers be shorn rather than increased
is evoking much discussion today in
political as we'll as radio circles.
las a conscientious citizen and as one
of the two members of the Federal Ra-
do Commission who have had the long
est experience on that body" Commas
sioner Caldwell declared before the
House committee conducting the hear
ings on radio, II must report to you my
sincere and complete conviction that the
commission method is lily adapted for
radio administration.
However uSefully a commission of
fiyS may serve as an appellate body 10
pan on radio controversies acting as
sort Sof court or jury, certainly it has
been demonstrated that a commission
organization is not suited to administer
constructively, efficiently or competently
O great advancing scientific art like
radio"
Mr.. Caldwell recommended that the
rule over radio be passed back to the
Department of Commerce, because II
the inherently technical nature of the
radio problem and because the depart
ment's radio division is technically
equipped, skilled and experienced to
handle it. He declared that the COM
MISSIONS work in the broadcasting and
short-wave fields is now 80 to IS per
cent done.
Favor Extending Commission.
= While the majority opinion in Con-
gress seems to favor the bills continuing
the commission, some Republican lead
ers think that Mr.. Caldwell's views COIN
eide with the radio law as originally
written. They also recall that Herbert
Hoover as Secretary of Commerce ex-
pressed opposition in principle to the
establishment of new permanent agen-
cieS of Government in connection with
the temporary lease of life granted two
years ago to the Federal Radio Commits
sion.
Whether Mr.. Hoover'S attitude has
altered since he became President-elect
and in view of the new aspects Of the
radio situation will not be known until
the next Congress takes up the matter
of setting up a communications COM
mission over all forms of wire and
wireless. Mr.. Caldwells statement drew
an informal reply today from Repre-
sentative Davis (Democrat) of Ten
nessee to the effect that the real solu-
ton will be the establishment of Fed
eral communications commission.
II am not with him at ALL said Mr..
Davis. 1.-THE only solution of the prob
ic %no nj Oh
nications commission with authority
over all wire and wireless systems. We
are only on the threshold. The art Is
developing more rapidly than we can
legiSlate. New problems are developing
daily and an agency of control is needed
in the interest of orderly procedure"
Representative Davis declared that he
would thoroughly oppose placing tech
nical men on such q commission. The
public interest demands men of judicial
temperament without preconceived ideas
to handle the vast problems relating to
competition, rates and services that are
opening up in all branches of the field
Of communication, he said.
Backed Allocation.
Commissioner Caldwell's testimony
before the House committee was devoted
largely to an explanation of the Novem-
Der reallocation, which, he maintained,
carried out the purposes of the 1928
law faithfully, accurately and promptly.
He insisted that the commission ma
jority was guided by the text of the
Davis equalization amendment and by
the debates in Congress concerning the
need for redistribution of the Nation
radio facilities. The commissioners re-
garded the termination of their offices
on February %, 1929, as notice from
Congress that results were wanted
promptly. according to Mr. Caldwell.
High power and cleared channels were
defended as the only way to reach farm
listeners, who comprise at least half the
Nations radio audience. Mr. Caldwell
went into detailed explanation of the
Interference effects of stations of vary
ing powers, indicating that 5000 to
$4,000 watt stations are necessary to
render the greatest service to the great
est number of people, and that such
stations inevitably require cleared chan
nels to keep them free from interior
ence.
Using his well known horsepower an
alogy, Commissioner Caldwell sought to
diSpel the bugab0o of high power by
stating that the power of the biggest
station on the air today 10000 watts
is equivalent to only about go horse
power, or less than the power in the
average automobile. He stated that the
reallocation is as flexible as the eouali-
cation limits make it possible to be, and
recommended that 10 or 20 more chan
nels be cleared in order to provide bet
ter radio service. The 40 channels now
cleared represent compromise in the
commission after so to 60 had been
urged by the engineers.
Copyright, 1929. by North American
Newspaper Alliance)