The Washington times., 1929-09-03
j. s. BAR SEEKS
RADIO ZONE
REPEAL

A plea for the American Bar
Association to get behind a 1egisla'
tive campaign for vital changes IN
the radio act of 1927 will be pre-
sented at the annual meeting O1
that body in Memphis in October,
Louis G.. Caldwell, of Chicago, for
mer general counsel of the Federal
Radio Commission, announced to-
day.
Caldwell made public an exhaif@
tive report prepared for the associae
ton by the committee on radio
law, Of which he is chairman. A.
sisting Caldwell in writing the re-
port were Col William j. DonO.
van, former assistant to the ~.
torney General; Fred c. Fernah,
of Boston: Cassius e. Gates, OF
Seattle, and Edward A. Zimmerman,
of Chicago.
.outsta Ing recommendation
were:
Repeal Zone Section
1. Repeal Of provisions Of the
radio law which divided the coun.
try into zones and Of the DAVIS
amendment by which the commits.
sion was required to allocate broad
casting facilities equally as among
zones;
2. Repeal Of the anti.monopolv
provision of the act;
3. Permanent vestinz Of radto
regulation either in the hands hf
the commission or the Commerce
Department;
q. Curbing jurisdiction of the Dfs.
trict of Columbia Court of Appeala
IN cases taken up from the com.
:. 5. Immediate return to original
license period of three years far
oroadcasting stations and five years
for others; - 90 :
g.. Opposition to the passage Of
any radio legislation now pending
in Congress.
Hold Open Meeting
An open meeting Of the radio law
committee will be held at the Hotel
Feaoooy in Memphis. October %. So
snat members OF the association win
naVe an opportunity to discuss the
ieporL , peIore It's presentation.
Inc Davis amendment runs
counter to well-estab ablished engineer
ing ing principles. the report said.
In addition to the hardship which
Drought about, it is distinctIv
WaseeIul ana unsound. The zone
provision, furthermore. acts as :
resurrection on appointments to the
commission.
The anti-monopoly provision was
eLdckeu s, as a constant threat to
me iofelsn communication system
OF the country, 1t was held TO
naahe possible that a large portion
oI the invaluable. short wave
Snannes S. which the United States
Aas appropriated and assigned for
use oy american companies may at
aay une be thrown back into the
.nLeInat tlonaI grab-bag open to regis
aLon oy other nations" This
teautre OF the law rests upon 8,
nnlsconception as to the nature of
Laolo reception and its relation to
wiEs M communication" the report
Merge Wire and Radio
Ihe two means of con1muni.
cation should be permitted to con1.
olne under proper conditions nrd
such combinations will be fo fhe
advantage of the public" CaldwelIs
report said.
jurisdiction Of the Court Of Appeals
should be limited so as not =
permit that body to substitute lie
Judgment for that of the corn.
mission on matters involving nriy,.
clples Of radio engineering, the corn.
mittee held. o0+A1'
Repeal Permit Section
The committee reconn1endA5 -.
peal OF a section Of the law reuuir-
ing that construction permit be oh.
tanned before beginning erection os
a radio station. A naitigatior nf
drastic provisions Of the act profibiy.
ing issuance Of licenses to corDora-
tions having allen stockholders. par
ticulariy with reference to ships ana
aircraft, was recommended,
The Couzens bill, to establish .
commission on communications was
opposed for the reason that radio
legislation was held not vet at 4
stage where it can be safely a..
simulated to regulation of wira com.
munlcation. Opposition likewise was
expressed to bills to limit the power
OF broadcasttng stations, to establish
% cleared channels, or Others to
control the licensing authority in sd-
mlnlstratlve or technical details
Thumbs down was turned on anothey.
OIL that would declare broadcasttnr
stations common carriers.