A BILL TO PROVIDE FOR THE REGULATION OF THE
TRANSMISSION OF INTELLIGENCE BY

WIRE OR WIRELESS

PART 1

MAY 8, 1929

Printed for the use of the Committee on Interstate Commerce

COMMISSION ON COMMUNICATIONS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 1929

UNITED STATES SENATE,

COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE COMMERCE,

Washington, D. C.

The committee met, pursuant to call of the chairman, at 10.30 a. m., in room 412, Senate Office Building, Senator James Couzens presiding.

Present: Senators Couzens (chairman), Fess, Pine, Watson, Brookhart, Kean, Pittman, Dill, Hawes, and Wagner.

The CHAIRMAN. The committee will please come to order. There is a quorum present. This meeting was called for the purpose of considering S. 6, a bill to provide for the regulation of the transmission of intelligence by wire or wireless. I think we better at the outset of our hearings put a copy of the bill in the hearings. (The bill is made a part of the hearings, as follows:)

[S. 6, Seventy-first Congress, first session]

A BILL To provide for the regulation of the transmission of intelligence by wire or wireless Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the provisions of this act shall apply to all common carriers engaged in the transmission of intelligence by wire or wireless but shall not apply to the transmission of intelligence by wire or wireless wholly within one State.

(b) This act is intended to regulate all forms of interstate and foreign radio transmissions and communications within the United States, its Territories and possessions; to maintain the control of the United States over all channels of interstate and foreign trade transmission; and to provide for the use of such channels, but not the ownership thereof, by individuals, firms, or corporations, for limited periods of time, under licenses granted by Federal authority. No such license shall be construed to create any right beyond the terms, conditions, and periods of the license. No person, firm, company, or corporation shall use or operate any apparatus for the transmission of energy, or communications, or signals by radio (a) from one place in any Territory or possession of the United States or in the District of Columbia to another place in the same Territory, possession, or District; or (b) from any State, Territory, or possession of the United States, or from the District of Columbia to any other State, Territory, or possession of the United States, or (c) from any place in any State, Territory, or possession of the United States, or in the District of Columbia, to any place in any foreign country or to any vessel; or (d) within any State when the effects of such use extend beyond the borders of said State, or when interference is caused by such use or operation with the transmission of such energy, communications, or signals from within said State to any place beyond its borders, or from any place beyond its borders to any place within said State, or with the transmission or reception of such energy, communications, or signals from and/or to places beyond the borders of said State; or (e) upon any vessel of the United States; or (f) upon any aircraft or other mobile stations within the United States, except under and in accordance with this act and with a license in that behalf granted under the provisions of this act.

(c) The term " 'common carrier" as used in this act shall include all telegraph, telephone, cable, and/or radio companies and/or any other persons, natural or