Evening star., 1934-04-22
COMMUNICATIONS
|. BOARD IS CERTAIN
Doubt Is Existing, However,
of Reconciliation of Two
Measures.
BY MARTIN CODEL.

BY MARTIN CODEL.
! REATION of a Federal Com
IA munications Commission, II
~ not by the present Congress,
~ then by the next, appears to
be the one certain outcome OF
the ill-Rayburn bills, now in their
respective legislative stages. Doubt
still prevails whether the bills can be
reconciled and enacted during the
waning session Of Congress. The sug-
gestion is even made that another
message from President Roosevelt or
word from the White House to Senate
and House leaders telling them that
he wants the commission authorized
before adjournment may be needed to
stimulate action.
1t Is upon the structure, the func-
! tions and the scope of authority of
the proposed commission that the
Senate and House bills are mostly at
variance. There appears to be general
agreement that commission should
be established, per the President s
recommendation of last February, to
take over the present jurisdiction of
the Federal Radio Commission and
the Interstate Commerce Commission
over the radio, telephones, telegraphs
and cables.
Investigatory Power Urged.
That is all the President asked
tnough he also suggested that the new
BODY be empowered to investigate and
study the business of existing COM
panles and make recommendations to
the Congress for additional legisla-
tion at the next session.
Senator Dill, one of the authors
OF the 1927 radio law and one of the
best informed men on Capitol Hill on
communications subjects, is not sat-
lsned merely to set up the structure
he wants some teeth in the legisla-
ton, though the full set of teeth pro-
posed in the earlier drafts of his bill
were pretty well pulled before the
nnal draft emanated from his COM
mittee this week.
Even his revised bill faces oppo-
sition. particularly from broadcasters.
On the other side of Capitol Hill.
Rayburn't bill is still the subject of
delayed committee hearings that may
last too long to expedite early action
by the House. In its present form. it
faces no opposition from the broad
casters, but is strongly opposed in
parts by the big communications
companies.
Senator Dill and Rayburn were
among the legislative leaders called
to the White House last week end to
be urged to push through certain
legislation. The new communications
law was not one of the measures thus
urged, lending to a belief that the
administration is not much concerned
whether it gets through this session
or awaits the next.
One of the chief variances in the
Dill and Rayburn bills is the set-up
OF the commissions they propose.
Both bills, of course, would abolish the
present Radio Commission as such.
The Dill bill provides flve-man COM
mission like the present Radio Com
mission. 1t would be organized into
two divisions: % the radio division
with jurisdiction over radio licenses,
including broadcasting and amateurs.
and CD, the telegraph and telephone
division with Jurisdiction over record
or telephone communication by wire.
radio, or cable.
Seven-Man Commission Urged.
The Rayburn bill proposes a seven
man commission to be organized into
three divisions: Cd the radio division
with jurisdiction over broadcasting,
amateur and mobile radio services: or
me telephone division with Jurisdiction
over common carriers engaged in voice
communications by wire or radio other
than proadcasting, namely, wire tele-
phony and radio telephony, and go
the telegraph division with Jurisdiction
over common carriers engaged in
record communications by wire. radio
or cable, namely, kilograms transmit
ted by wire or radio, whether in code
or facsimile.
Both bills provide for $4,000
salaries for the commissioners. and
the majority. of course, would be
appointed from the party in power.
Both bills provide for directors for
each division, or specialized admins
traitors, at salaries of $4,000. There
are no regional requirements for ap-
polntments, as in the present radio
act, but politics would undoubtedly
dictate geographical considerations in
making selections as in the case of the
Interstate Commerce Commission.
Though the bills doom it to extinc-
ton, the Radio Commission, through
Chairman E. o. Sykes as its spokes-
man, has indorSed the idea of a COM
munications commission to both the
Senate and House Committees. Judge
SYKES, the one charter member of the
Radio Commission. protege of both
democratic Senators from his native
mississippi and generally looked upon
as the most likely choice for the chair
manship of the new commission. is
not certain about the division set
ups IN either the Dill or Rayburn bills.
Three Divisions Proposed.
From his experience in the regula-
ton OF radio, he has suggested to the
committees of Congress that three di-
visions be established in the new
commission: Cd broadcast division.
dIIldleUI
services; telephone division, regulat-
ing not only wire and radio telephony
but radio hook-ups with public tele-
phone, and 90 the telegraph division.
regulating record communication by
wire. radio or cable, including fixed
and mobile radiotelegraph services.
1t is believed" he told the Rayburn
Committee, that this ALLEGATION of
jurisdiction will result in a better CO.
ordination of related radio and wire
services. Broadcasting is in itself an
important subject and not related to
the mobile service. The mobile serv-
ices, however, are closely related to
the radio services, both telegraph and
telephone"
Whether Judge Sykes or any of his
three other colleagues on the Radio
Commission will win appointment to
the Communications Commission is.
OF course, anybody's guess. The fifth