Evening star., 1931-06-25
WMBC ACTIVITIES
TOLD AT INQUIRY
Detroit Station Aided Poor
9 and JobIesS, Manager
Says in Probe.
zy the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Activities of station WMEC, in De-
troit against vice conditions and in
doing welfare work were described to
Radio Examiner Yost today by w.
Wright Gedge, general manager of the
citation.
Testifving in the Radio Commissions
investigation of the station, Gedge said
it had fought against gambling, slot
machines and dope peddling."
It's welfare work, he added, included
the placing of 4,746 men and women in
employment in the past year, and the
distribution Of $40 emergency baskets
of food.
Part Of Stations Activities.
Examiner Yost asked the witness
what this work had to do with radio
station. Gedge replied that it was "a
part of the stations activities.
I'VE go on the air and ask people
to help the needy he said.
He explained that the emergency
food baskets were provided for persons
in need of immediate relief and whose
cases had not been cared for by the
City Welfare Department.
The station also delivered coal to
needy families and milk to UNDER
nourished children, and provided med
ical care, he said.
Buckley Check Debated.
Under questioning by William E.
Leahy, counsel for the station, Gedge
said the station constantly urged the
election of honest men for public
Conflicting testimony that Jerry
Buckley, Detroit announcer for the
station, slain by gangsters II months
ago yesterday, collected $l,50o check
from three alleged gamblers during his
radio exposure of underworld methods
was introduced yesterday before the
Radio Commission.
In the form of bulky affdavits 1t was
submitted by counsel for the commits
sion. 1t was Immediately challenged
as "hearsay testimony" by counsel for
station WMBC of Detroit, where Buck
ley had worked.
Attorneys for the station appeared
at the commissions order for hear
ing to show cause why WMBC'S license
| should be renewed.
Holds One Man Dead.
o. L. Smith, counsel for the station,
contended the government would name
the three alleged gamblers as Johnny
Ryan, st. Louis Dutch and Danny Sui
! liVan. He asserted he, would enter in
| rebutta1 a certified copy of Ryan's death
certificate dated year before the check.
Buckley was killed late one night
while he was in the lobby of the La
Sale Hotel. He had been conducting
| a series of broadcasts against the
activities of gangsters and was active
in the campaign to recall the then
mayor of Detroit
A heated exchange occurred when
Smith characterized as vicious testi-
mony" and hearsay the story that
Buckley had been given the $500
check to cease his radio operations
against the underworld and that he
had turned it over to officials Of the
station in return for $3.50 commission.
Charges Commission Was Paid.
Thad Brown, general counsel for the
commission leaped to his feet saying:
Testimony we have collected is re-
plete with evidence that Buckley was
an agent for WMBC and that he re-
ceived $3.50 for collecting this check. ''
1.-THE onus of the allegations against
the station and it's officials, in fact, the
whole charge" Smith asserted. rests
upon claim of what a man now dead
| did while he was news digest broad
caster at WMBC. 1t has been IL months
since Buckley was killed and we intend to
prove that the station has operated In
| the public interest since then"