NAB reports (Jan-Dec 1937)

PRESIDENT MYERS: On the official ballot which will be here in a few minutes, we will have two candidates for President, First Vice President and Second Vice President. You vote for your choice for President, First Vice President and Second Vice President, all on this one ballot, and save a great deal of time. A MEMBER: What about the Treasurer? PRESIDENT MYERS: Same on both ballots. MR. HUBBARD: Now, gentlemen, to save time, there being no contest for Treasurer, I move that Harold Hough of Fort Worth be elected Treasurer unanimously. MR. ROTH: Seconded. (The motion was put to vote, and was carried.) MR. WAY: Mr. Chairman, if it is not too late, I’d like to talk on this nomination. I don’t know personally either Mr. Elmer or Mr. Craney. Therefore, I can talk intelligently. (Laughter.) I do know what these gentlemen stand for. I have been travel¬ ing a lot in the last year. I know something about this ASCAP situation. I possibly know more about this ASCAP situation than 99 per cent, of the broadcasters because we have gone through federal court and spent a good many thousands of dollars and I have had to learn about it. I tell you, gentlemen, the biggest mistake is you are fighting this ASCAP question on the floor of the convention with open re¬ marks on the floor. These people have a federal law that pro¬ tects them and you are not going to be able to change that law now. They have a lobby that is swell. Now, if I want to buy anything which I have to buy, I don’t go and throw rocks at the man that has it to sell. I don’t want you to think that I am coming here and asking you to join ASCAP. They don’t want you. You can’t join. Neither can you sell them an idea. But, this thing of continually bombarding ASCAP and the things they have, in the newspapers and in the magazines, and throwing rocks at their house, is not getting anywhere at all. A plan has been recommended at this convention and previous conventions as being workable. Let that thing work its way out and let’s quit fighting this ASCAP thing publicly and clean our linen at home. I am in favor of Mr. Elmer’s election. PRESIDENT MYERS: Gentlemen, it has been called to the Chair’s attention that there is no contest in the election of Direc¬ tors. The Directors presented by your Nominating Committee for the three-year term are: Charles W. Myers, KOIN, Portland, Oregon; Herb Hollister, KANS, Wichita, Kansas; Harry C. Butcher, Columbia Broadcasting System, Washington, D. C.; Frank M. Russell, National Broadcasting Company, Washington, D. C.; and Theodore C. Streibert, Mutual Broadcasting System, New York. They recommend Gene Dyer, WGES, Chicago, for the one-year term. There is no contest for the election of those men. I am asking for a motion to make the election of these Directors unanimous. L. B. WILSON (WCKY, Covington) : I so move. ALFRED McCOSKER (WOR, Newark) : Seconded. PRESIDENT MYERS: It has been moved and seconded that the Directors named be unanimously elected. Is there any discussion ? (The motion was put to vote, and was carried.) PRESIDENT MYERS: The motion is carried and the Directors are elected. (The ballots were distributed.) JAMES R. CURTIS (KFRO, Longview, Texas) : Mr. Chair¬ man, I want a little information on this ballot. Are we to check the men we want or the men we don’t want? PRESIDENT MYERS: You always vote “yes” — “X” on the ballot — for the man you want. You put the check opposite the name of the man you want. I am glad you brought that up, sir. I will recognize Mr. William Hedges. MR. HEDGES: As a word of explanation, you can vote for whomever you want. You can vote for John Elmer for Presi¬ dent or for First Vice President, if you so choose, but it will probably mean we will be here all afternoon getting this straight¬ ened out. I appeal to your logic that you vote the straight Nomi¬ nating Committee’s ticket or the straight petition ticket and, therefore, avoid a lot of confusion. Therefore, if you are for John Elmer, vote for John Gillin for First Vice President and William J. Scripps for Second Vice President. If, on the other hand, you are for Ed Craney for President, vote for John Elmer for First Vice President and John Gillin for Second Vice President. If you vote for John Elmer or Ed Craney for President, John Gillin or John Elmer for First Vice President, and William Scripps or John Gillin for Second Vice President, you will find that by the time you get down there, you will have gummed the works up to a sufficient extent so that we will have to have a re-balloting. So, I submit if you are for Craney, vote for the petition candi¬ dates and if you are for the Nominating Committee ticket, vote for the Nominating Committee candidates. PRESIDENT MYERS: Balloting is about to begin in accord¬ ance with the policy outlined. In other words, you are to mark your ballots and as your station is called, form the line on this side. It has been called to my attention that any member of this Association may be appointed to preside in the Chairman’s stead. I, therefore, take advantage of this rule and with the greatest of pleasure appoint William S. Hedges to conduct the remainder of this meeting. (Mr. Hedges took the chair.) CHAIRMAN HEDGES: The Managing Director will call the roll and as your station is called, please form in line and come up to the table, around this way. (Casting of ballots.) CHAIRMAN HEDGES: Is there any member of the Asso¬ ciation in the room whose station has not been called? The Elections Committee is composed of the following members: Hugh Halff, who is chairman; Bill Way; Father James A. Wag¬ ner; Don Searle; and Dale Robertson. MR. MYERS: Will all the members of the Elections Com¬ mittee that are present please step forward? Are any of you gentlemen interested in finishing the session of this meeting? If you are, will you kindly go out in the lobby and round up enough members to give us a quorum so we can consider these resolutions and we will be through for the day. CHAIRMAN HEDGES: The Chair will now call upon Mr. John Henry, chairman of the Resolutions Committee, for the report of that committee. JOHN HENRY (KOIL, Omaha) : “Resolved, That the National Association of Broadcasters sincerely thanks Hon. Judge Eugene Octave Sykes, Chairman of the Broadcast Division, Fed¬ eral Communications Commission, for the helpful address de¬ livered by him at its fifteenth annual convention, and that the membership is confident that his message will aid greatly in enabling broadcasting stations to carry out the responsibilities placed upon them by the Federal Communications Commission.” I move the adoption of this resolution. CHAIRMAN HEDGES: Is there a second? MR. HUBBARD: Seconded. CHAIRMAN HEDGES: Is there any discussion? MR. HART: Is there a quorum here? MR. HUBBARD: I move we adjourn without a quorum! (The motion was not seconded.) CHAIRMAN HEDGES: The ballot box is now closed and the Elections Committee will take charge of the ballot box and pro¬ ceed to count them. Mr. Searle will act as chairman of that committee. Mr. Hart who raised the question of quorum has withdrawn his challenge of quorum. We can proceed unless somebody else wishes to challenge the quorum. I believe that is hardly necessary in view of the routine nature of so many of these resolutions. If there are resolutions submitted on which there is controversy on which you wish to have a quorum, we can withdraw that resolution and present it at tomorrow’s meeting. Mr. Henry made the motion that the first resolution thanking Judge Sykes for his splendid address, be adopted and it was seconded by Mr. Hubbard. There is no discussion, apparently. Therefore, I put it to vote. (The motion was put to vote, and was carried.) MR. HENRY: “Resolved, That the National Association of Broadcasters hereby extends its appreciation to Mr. Glenn Snyder, Mr. H. Leslie Atlass, Mr. Ralph L. Atlass, Mr. H. C. Crowell, Mr. Gene T. Dyer, Mr. W. E. Hutchinson, Mr. Quin A. Ryan, Mr. F. A. Stanford, Mr. Niles Trammel and Mr. Clinton R. White of the Local Convention Committee for their services in helping to make the fifteenth annual convention of the National Association of Broadcasters a success.” I move this resolution be adopted. H. K. CARPENTER (WHK, Cleveland) : Seconded. CHAIRMAN HEDGES: It has been moved and seconded that the resolution just read be adopted. Any discussion? (The motion was put to vote, and was carried.) MR. HENRY: “Resolved, That the National Association of Broadcasters hereby extends its hearty thanks to the manage¬ ment of the Sherman Hotel, and to Mr. ffm. P. Hennessy, Director of Conventions, Chicago Association of Commerce, for their splendid service in making the fifteenth annual convention of this Association an outstanding success; also to the management of the Sherman Hotel and other hotels for their courtesies in accommodating so many of our guests.” 2454