Evening star., 1934-07-15

m > HESl lew uhyS Oi tNlSNPuCe ufluS
the new Federal Communications
Commission in state OF sus-
i pended animation. Pending or
ganization along the lines di-
rected by the Dill-Rayburn communi-
cations act, the seven-man board
which will regulate the interstate
telephones and telegraphs along with
radio. at its first meeting Wednesday.
undertook only to name a secretary
and chief counsel. Then II ordered
that all Of the 200 odd members of
the old Radio Commission staff in
Washington and in the field be con-
tinued in their present status for the
next 60 days.
In addition, the rules and regu-
lations of the old Radio Commission
are to be maintained for the time be-
ing at least Whether there will be
any changes in the regulation of radio
remains for the new commissioners
to decide as a matter Of policy. The
Communications Commission. 1t can
be safely said. has nothing so radical
in mind as a reallocatiOn of the radio
wave length cor a further breakdown
of the clear channels. The status quo
will continue in broadcasting for a
long time.
Indeed, the new commissioners are
obviously inclined to make haste
slowly. first getting their bearings in
a field that is new to most of them.
A division of duties is to be their
next task. then the appointment of
additional personnel, and then they
must plunge into the detailed work.
On the radio side, the groundwork has
been laid so well by the Radio Com
mission that the new board probably
will let we'll enough alone and con-
centrate very largely on its telephone
and telegraph duties.
Investigation Needed.
In the wire communications field,
which is brought under active Fed
eral Jurisdiction for the first time.
the commissions job for the next six
months or year will be mostly inveSti-
gatory. so as to be able to make the
required report to the next Con-
greSs recommending the additional
powers it needs. Rate schedules of
the telephone and telegraph COM
panies operating in interstate COM
merce will, of course, be secured i'm
mediately. A searching inquiry will
then be conducted into their cor
porate set-ups. The commission
must know where to draw the line
between the Federal and State juris-
dictionS, for the new act jealousy
guards the authority of the State
Public Service Commissions
This angle of the commissions ac-
tivitieS becomes all the more complex
when it is borne in mind that perhaps
95 per cent of the business done by the
American Telephone & Telegraph Co.
and the numerous independent tele-
phone companies is conducted wholly
within State bounds.
Secretary to the Federal Communi-
cations Commission appointed this
week is Herbert l.. Pettey, who was
also secretary of the Radio Commits
sion and who is the radio liaison man
of the administration. Its chief coun-
sci is Paul D. P. Spearman. Missis-
sippian, who was at one time with that
States Utilities Commission and who,
in 1881, resigned as an assistant gen.
eral counsel of the old Radio Com
mission. Although not yet formally
named, 1t is practically certain that
DIR. c. B. Jolliffe will be named chief
engineer of the new board in view of
his record with the Radio Commission
and the support behind him among
the new commissioners.
Experts for Key Posts.
The commissioners ostensibly name
the $4,000 general counsel and chief
engineer and the three $500 assist
ants to be assigned to each of these
the three $500 division chiefs and the
seven $4,000 assistants to the indi-
vidual commissioners, as well as the
remaining personnel, which is nearly
all to be chosen from the civil service
lists. Actually, these appointments
will be directed very largely by the
Democratic party leaders. Neverthe-
less, experts are being sought for the
key posts and the possibilities are that