Evening star., 1934-12-30
PRALL TO BECOME
MEMBER OF Fec.
Roosevelt Will Appoint For
mer Representative
in Few Days.
BY SOL TAISHOFF.

4 MEXICAN radio Will acquire q
" new head man" during the
n next few days in the person Of
Aiming S. Prall, for II years
member of Congress from New
York and a former Democratic stall
wart in the House. He will be named
a member OF the Federal Communica.
tions Commission by President Roose.
welt and shortly thereafter will as
sumo the Craftsmanship Of the broad
cast division, succeeding Hampson
Gary of Texas. former Minister to
Switzerland, who is expected to resign.
Mr. Prall's appointment became def
nitely known after the President had
called in the seven members Of the F.
c. c. to the White House December
% to discuss the entire communica-
tions situation. While no formal an
nouncement was made either at the
White House or by Chairman E. o.
Sykes of the F. c. c., it was definitely
aScertained that the change would be
made, with Mr.. Prall slated for nom
ination for seyen-year term.
Appointed Last July.
Mr.. Gary was appointed to the F.
G. G. last July, along with the other
six members, but his one-year ap-
pointment was in the nature of a
recess tenure. That was because Mr..
Prall, as member of Congress which
created the F. c. c., was ineligible to
serve on that agency until a new ses-
sion of Congress had convened. Con-
sequently, his appointment will be
simultaneous with the organization Of
the new Congress and the demise
Of the old.
1t is likely that Mr.. Gary. personally
acquainted with the President and
highly regarded in administration cir
cles, will be named to another high
post. He may be invited to return to
the diplomatic corps. in which he
served for more than a decade. having
been originally appointed by Presi-
dent Wilson.
President Roosevelt is evincing an
intense personal interest in the ac-
tivities of the F. c. C. He has called
in its membership on three occasions
to discuss its work. The last confer
ence, it is understood had TO do with
the progress it has made in the inves-
legations ordered by Congress in es-
tablishing the F. c. C. 1t is possible
that the President will make mention
Of this activity in his annual message
to be delivered to Congress next
Friday.
Hearings Completed.
Since its creation, the F. c. c. has
completed hearings on two Of three
jor investigations it is conducting
one in the radio broadcasting and the
other in the telegraph field. 1t has
yet to invade the telephone field COM
prehensively. In the broadcasting
field, it was ordered by Congress to
investigate and report to it on pro-
posals that fixed percentages Of broad
casting facilities be allocated to edu-
cational, religious and other nom
profit groups. Hearings were con-
Quoted from october l to November IL,
with a mass of testimony submitted.
Out of the White House discussion
came an indication that the F. C. c.
will recommend against any so-called
"class ALLEGATIONS" based on the in
vestigation it has conducted and that
it will propose that the existing sys-
tenn of radio be maintained. since
the preponderance of the evidence
presented to it by more than l0o
witnesses was in support of that
view This report, along with the
others, is due February l, and will
be submitted at that time