Evening star., 1933-02-05
|NEWREGULAT|0N
| FOR radio LIKELY
Roosevelt Expected to Merge
All Communications Un-
der One Control.
BY MARTIN CODEL.

ID NAhAsASAN SODHAs
NRESIDENT- ELECT ROOSE-
u VELTS administration may
bring about the contamination
i of repeated proposals tn Con-
gress to place the regulation OF
radio under q communications bureau
or commission. with the regulation Of
interstate telephone, telegraph and
power services thrown in for good
measure.
That, at least, has been broadly in
icy in reports from his conferences at
Warm Springs, Ga. Lending force to
the reports, so far as they concern
communications, was the fact that the
President-elect has been conferring
rather frequently with Swagar Sherley
of Kentucky, who was wartime chair
man of the important House Appropria-
tions Committee, and who, in recent
years, as a Washington attorney, has
zen prominent in radio cases.
= Rayburn Presents Bill.
Almost coincidently with Mr.. Sher-
ley's visit last week with Mr.. Roosevelt
at Warm Springs, Representative Sam
man Of the House Committee on Inter-
ed bill creating q Federal Commission
on Communications and Power. The
proposed body, he explained, would
take over the present powers Of the
radio and power commissions and the
Jurisdiction of the Interstate Commerce
Commission over telephones, telegraphs
and cables.
Chairman Rayburn said he was def
nitely committed to q program calling
for the consolidation of their functions
into one agency, and had discussed the
subject with President-elect Roosevelt
in December.
Mr.. Roosevelt has asked Mr.. Shirley
to gather information for him having
to do with the consolidation and pos
sible abandonment Of certain govern
mental agencies. That the plans for
proposals involve the future Of the
Federal Radio Commission, which now
regulates radio alone. is a foregone GER
tainty, especially In view of the in
PRODUCTION Of the Rayburn bill.
Among the consolidation projects
discussed at Warm Springs were the
ones having to do with a concentration
Of all communications services under
the head OF one agency and the similar
concentration Of all transportation
services under one agency. Transpor-
tation. Of course, was discussed length
lily in Mr.. Roosevelts campaign
speeches, but he said little or nothing
about communications in the campaign
The idea that the regulation of inter-
state power transmission should also
come under the communications agency
is not a new one, having been proposed
in the Couoens communications COM
mission bill, now several years in the
congressional hopper.
Two Courses Open.
Assuming that q reorganization OF
the regulation Of radio and other COM
municattons services is coming. two
possible courses are open to the Presi-
dent-elect and Congress. Both con-
template considerable changes in the
Federal Radio Commissions admins
tration.
One course hinted in the reports
from Warm Springs is the establish
ment Of bureau that should regulate
radio, telegraphs, telephones, cables
and power. This would mean discard
| ing the radio and power commissions
erciSed authority of the Interstate
Commerce Commission over telephone
| telegraph and cable rates and func-
tions. It might mean also rate making
| for radio, which the Radio Commission
has hitherto eschewed.
An appointed director of such a bu-
reau would be veritable "czar" over
, these services. with complete organi-
zation working under him 1t is pos
sible that, as contemplated in the origi-
nal radio act Of 1927, appeals from his
administrative decisions would be taken
to q communications commission sit
ting on disputed matters only on cases
that might thereafter be appealed to
the courts.
The other course would be the enact
ment Of legislation already proposed by
Senator CouZens and Mr.. Rayburn, es-
tablishing a Federal communications
commission in lieu of the present radio
and power commissions to take over
also the authority of the Interstate
Commerce Commission over telegraphy
and telephony. Such a commission
might function much as do the present
| agencies regulating these several activi-
ties. comprising a three to five man
board Of first instance rather than q
| bureaucratic car"
] Disadvantages Seen.
That the present regulatory arrange
ment is unsatisfactory. is generally
conceded. The Radio Commission,
with broad powers from Congress, per-
forms functions that are at once ad-
ministrative, legislative and judicial
That the present commission has been
| subjected to political duress Of o kind
unheard Of in the functioning of the
| couQs or such quasi-judicial agencies
| as the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion. Is only too we'll known. Either as
| an appellate commission or reorganiz-
ed administrative commission, COM
munications board properly supported
by the President would soon win new
| prestige. Whatever Mr.. Roosevelt de-
cides to do, he will need the support of
Congress in securing the legislation
necessary to put his plans into effect.