Fizzle, Blast

Ever since President Roosevelt appointed him a Republican member of the Federal Communications Commission, George Henry Payne has preached that radio broadcasters have an eye only to profits, neglect "education and culture." Something else Commissioner Payne dislikes is radio lobbyists. He says he can't leave his office without stumbling over three or four of them.

Last fortnight before the House of Representatives' potent Rules Committee, Commissioner Payne rose and charged that though he might elude these lobbyists, other Commissioners tarried to listen to them.

"Are you accusing your colleagues of yielding too greatly to the influences you speak of?" asked Georgia's Edward Eugene Cox.

"Yes, sir."

"Do you think you're the only honest man on the Commission?" persisted Mr. Cox.

Commissioner Payne pursed his lips, paused reflectively, replied: "I hope not."

Recalled last week in closed session for the purpose of naming names, Commissioner Payne seemed pretty much of a fizzle. He showed up with no evidence against his fellow Commissioners. He did repeat the names of a half-dozen well-known lobbyists. Nevertheless, the Rules Committee, led by its hard-boiled chairman, Tammanyite John Joseph O'Connor, voted for an investigation. In doing so they overrode protests by FCC Chairman Frank Ramsay McNinch, who well knew that a comprehensive investigation would involve not only broadcasters but also his Commission. He is already conducting a monopoly investigation of his own.

While Government thus edged one step further into Radio, National Association of Broadcasters' Mark Ethridge, most effective voice the broadcasters have found, cracked back at "capsule culture," which sounded to him like an effort to foist etherized Hitlerism. With this parting blast at Government-in-Radio, Temporary President Ethridge retired to devote all his time to running the Louisville Courier-Journal and Times and Station WHAS. Appointed to succeed him as mouthpiece of the industry was another Louisvillian: Neville Miller, 44, who gained national prominence as mayor of the city during the 1937 flood, has served lately as assistant to President Harold Willis Dodds of Princeton. His new salary: $30,000.

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