Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-27
CITY HIRES RADIO
TROUBLE MAN"
Charge of ST a Year Against
Each Listener Causes
Federal Concern.
ny ROBERT MACK.

The city Of Sault Ste. Marie,
Mich. has hired itself an official radio
interference man to run down causes
OF man-made disturbances and elimi-
nate them, but in so doing it is causing
the Federal radio authorities no little
concern.
To defray the expenses of maintain
ing a radio trouble man." the Michi-
gan city is charging license fee OF
81 per year on each radio set in use.
Under existing law license fees are
illegal, and that's worrying the Federal
Radio Commission.
Advices reaching the commission tell
Of the Inauguration of Sault's new radio
ordinance. by which the city hopes to
make radio reception as nearly perfect
as possible. With the elimination of
interferences caused by regenerative
receiving sets, V-ray machines, electric
washers, curling irons and the like. the
city hopes it will be bound closer to the
news, the music and the entertainment
that floats in over the ether from the
metropolises," states the report.
The commission has nothing but
praise for the active steps to rid Sault
Of its preventable radio howls and
squawks-but that 81 license fee is the
sore spot.
Regulations Opinion Drafted.
Recently two members Of the COM
missions legal staff, Paul M. Segal, and
Paul D. P. Spearman, both assistant
general counsel drafted an opinion on
State and municipal regulation of radio
communications. Respecting local Ii
censes or privilege taxes, they said:
such ordinances are void. No tax
may be levied by States or municipali-
ties on the privilege of engaging in the
business of transmitting or receiving
rad{n Roth transmits
sion and reception are required to carry
on communication. Neither can be dis
pensed with. Each is essential to inter-
course and both a transmitter and re-
ceiver are indispensable in effecting
interstate commerce. A privilege tax on
transmitting or receiving would be
tax on an indispensable instrumentality
OF interstate commerce"
They go on to cite court decisions in
which it was held that it is illegal for
a State or municipality to collect such
taxes. One such decision said that no
State can compel party, individual or
corporation to pay for the privilege of
engaging in interstate commerce. An
other stated that lit long has been
settled that State cannot lay tax on
interstate commerce in any form,
jects Of commerce, the receipts there
from, or the occupation or business of
carrying it on"
The report about the Sault ordinance
reaching the commission said that there
was every reason to believe that the
ordinance, including its license fee and
It's provision for a radio inspector,
meets the approval of those citizens
who derive huge pleasure on winter
nights from sitting in their homes and
listening in on the worlds best radio
entertainment.
License Fee Now Due.
1.-THE license fee" is continues els now
due. The fund which it creates is for
the purpose of paying for the work Of
the inspector in running down inter-
ferehceS and causing them to be cor
rected. There are thought to be 1000
radio sets in Sault Ste. Marie. The
city'S survey. which will be assisted by
the radio inspector, will determine just
how many receiving sets there are.
IF preventable radio interferenceS are
abolished and the air cleared so that
listeners may have unalloyed success in
the use of their receiving sets, the
happiness of the Sault shall be in
creased. Business in radio will in
crease. The Sault will be bound closer
to the news, the music and entertain
ment that floats in over the ether from
the rnetropolises. And the city will
have accomplished another mighty
worthwhile piece of legislation.
Copyright 1929 by the Consolidated Press)