Evening star., 1935-01-20
COMMISSION GETS
CLOSE SCRUTINY
Senate Confirmation May
Prove Bumpy Ride for
Communications.
BY SOL TAISHOFr.

YHAT was expected 10 DC
easy shedding for members
wv Of the Federal Communi-
cations Commission In the
matter of confirmation Of
their nominations may prove to be
a bumpy senatorial buggy ride"
Instead Of acting on the nomina-
tions Of six of the seven members
of this new New Deal agency in the
routine way, the Senate Interstate
Commerce Committee has decided TO
conduct a searching inquiry into
their views before taking action. And
it will await receipt from the
F. c. c., which is vested with broad
powers over all phases Of communi-
cations, Of a report containing its
views and recommendations on i'm
portant matters relating to broad
casting and telegraph and telephone
regulation. This report is due Febru-
airy ]. but may be submitted before
that date.
The only member who will be ex-
cluded from this inquisition Is former
Representative Aiming S. Prau, prom
inent New York Democrat. whose
nomination was reported out favor
ably and confirmed early this week.
Since Mr.. Prall has not served on the
F. C. c., he naturally Is not &C.
quainted with its policies or plans
Moreover, the Senate committee felt
the membership Of the F. c. c. should
be completed at once, and therefore
January II took favorable action on
Mr.. Prall's nomination by President
Roosevelt. Other members Of the
F. c. C. have been serving as recess
appointees since last July.
Many to be Questioned.
To be called before the committee
for an interrogation that apparently
will be more than cursory are Chair
man E. o. Sykes of Mississippi, Dem
orcat; Thad H. Brown. Ohio Repub-
lican, vice chairman of the Broadcast
Division; Paul A. Walker, Oklahoma
Democrat, chairman of the Telephone
Division; former Gov. Norman s.
Case, Rhode Island Republican, vice
chairman Of the same division: DR.
Irwin Stewart, Texas Democrat
chairman Of the Telegraph Division,
and George Henry Payne, vice chair
man Of the latter division. On Jarlu-
ary 10 President Roosevelt nominated
these men for terms Of ofiice ranging
from seven years to two years, In the
order named. Mr.. Prall, appointed
to succeed Hampson Gary, Texas
Democrat, who resigned January J.
was given the unexpired term Of the
latter, but he is expected to be named
for q seven-year term from that date
Like Mr.. Gary, Mr.. Prall will serve
as chairman Of the Broadcast Di-
vision.
Whereas little opposition to the ap-
pointments Of the F. G. G. members
had been manifest since Congress
convened early this month, there has
been a spontaneous outburst on the
part of one or two members Of the
Senate. Certain members Of the In
terstate Commerce Commission, head.
ed by the progressive Democrat, Sen
ator Wheeler of Montana, feel that
the committe should have an oppor.
tunity Of examining the F. G. CT
legislative recommendation before in
terogating the members, and for that
reason the committee decided to post
pone its hearings until the report has
been submitted
The report from the F. G. c. was
ordered by Congress last Summer when
it passed the act creating that egency
and abolishing the Radio Commission
The salient items on which investiga.
tions were ordered were Q) on the
question Of proposals that specific per-
centages of broadcasting facilities be
allocated to so-called non-profit groups
like schools, churches and the like;
(2) that the advisability of consoli-
dating companies in the telegraph
field, involving such organizations as
Western Union, Postal, r. G. A. and
the cable companies, be considered
and (3) that the entire telephone SIT
uation, with particular reference to
American Telephone g. Telegraph Co.
be investigated.
In the case Of the broadcasting In
quiry, the broadcast division conducted
an exhaustive inquiry last FAN. and
ammassed tremendous record Of tes-
timony. The telegraph division, like
wise, has conducted extensive hearings
on the question Of mergers Of these
companies. The telegraph division
has Just begun its study Of the A. r
& T. Co., and probably viii not be In
position to submit any definite legisla-
tive recommendations until this Il
completed.
The only outspoken opposition voiced
against any +. C. G. member was that
directed against Chairman Sykes by
Senator Bilbo Of Mississippi, politt-
cal antagonist Of the r. G. G. chair
man. Judge Sykes supported former
Senator Stephens for reelection IL
the contest In which Senator Bilbc
was victor, and the fiery Bilbo ha'
stated that he will keep his campaign
pledre to ssbuild q fire's under Judge