Radio age (May 1922-Dec 1923)

RADIO AGE— "THE MAGAZINE OF THE HOUR" 23 Interference Causes La\vsuit THE question as to whether or not one may use the air and space as provided by the Maker of the universe in a free and untrammeled way is to be decided at an early session of the Livingston county (111.) circuit court. The question as to whether any one person has more libertj^ in the use of the ether of space has been brought in the case of Edward McWilliams, a resident of Dwight, against Wiley Bergman, also a resident of Dwight, and both ardent amateur radio fans. The case is the first one heard of in the state of Illinois and possibly the first of the amateur sort in the United States. In his bill as filed Mr. McWilliams sets forth the fact that he is interested in radio and has had his residence property in Dwight equipped with wires and apparatus necessary to receive the messages and information sent out by the various radio sending stations of considerable size and in any considerable part of the United States, which apparatus cost him a considerable sum, to-wit $500. He also states that in Dwight, which is a town of about 2,000 population, there are from fifteen to twenty receiving outfits similar to his own. He states further that he has made a considerable study of radio and receives much emjoyment and pleasure from receiving of market reports, items of current news, concerts and programs which are sent out by the radio sending stations. The bill then states that one Wiley Bergman, who is also a resident of Dwight, has established a radio sending apparatus and station of great power; that he is not engaged in any business which calls for the sending of messages and communications by radio and does not send messages to any profit to himself. The bill states further that whenever Bergman's apparatus is in operation in the sending of messages that it interferes with the receiving apparatus of Mr. McWilliams and with the radio apparatus of other residents of Dwight and that their outfits are wholly useless and ineffective regardless of the skill with which they are operated and that Bergman will not and does not confine himself to any regular hours or times for operating his sending apparatus, but starts and operates it at times and hours when he well knows that the other owners of radio outfits in Dwight are receiving concerts, programs, market reports from sending stations in larger cities and that Bergman well knows that the sending stations in Chicago, Davenport, St. Louis, Atlanta and other cities have programs announced in advance to be broadcasted each day and well knows that persons in Dwight are enjoying them and that he does not regard the right of the plaintiff and other persons in receiving these programs but frequently interferes with them and renders them wholly useless. The bill sets forth that on November 7, election day, that while the plaintiff was receiving the election returns that his apparatus was rendered useless because of the fact that Bergman by reason of his disregard of the rights of the plaintiff so used his sending apparatus that the receiving of the election returns was interfered with and stopped for more than six times in the one day. The bill states that because of the great development of the radio that a sending station should be so operated and controlled that it will not necessarily make useless the apparatus owned by the various receivers. The bill also states that it is really possible for Bergman to use his sending apparatus at times each day when it will not seriously annoy and inconvenience the plaintiff and the other residents of Dwight in the use and enjoyment by them of their receiving apparatus. Mr. McWilliams, in his bill, asks that Bergman may be enjoined and restrained from using his radio sending apparatus as to interfere with the rights of the plaintiff to the reasonable use, enjoyment and benefit of his radio receiving apparatus, and so using his sending outfit as to render useless and of small value the receiving outfit, and from so using his sending outfit as to unnecessarily and unreasonably depreciate the value of the plaintiff's property and from using his radio sending outfit at such hours of the day as he well knows are daily used, by the sending stations in the larger cities for the broadcasting of their programs and which he well knows are being received by the plaintiff and other citizens of Dwight. Mr. McWilliams also asks that the right of himself and the rights of the defendant may be fully established. The case is a unique one and involves some questions of law entirely new. It undoubtedly will be closely watched, both by radio fans throughout the state and country when it comes to trial, but also by attorneys who have not yet experienced such a problem. — From the Pontiac (111.) Leader. Symphony Concerts Sunday afternoon popular concerts by the City Symphony Orchestra, are being broadcast by the WestinghuseRadio Corporation station, WJZ, at Newark. These concerts are held at the Manhattan Opera House, 34th Street & 8th Avenue, New York City, and are conveyed to WJZ by a special Western Union wire. The programs consist of gems from the lighter classics together with shorter symphonic poems. Young soloists of real talent and distinction are heard at each performance. The City Symphony Orchestra, which is maintained by the Musical Society of the City of New York, consists of 83 players carefully selected for their musical talent and symphonic experience. The conductor, Mr. Dirk Foch, a native of Holland and a composer of distinction, has had a successful career as a conductor of symphony concerts and opera in Amsterdam, The Hague, Stockholm, Gothenburg, and other European cities. He conducted several stadium concerts in 1919, a special Carnegie Hall concert in 1920, and was guest conductor of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra for two concerts in 1921. The object of the Musical Society of New York is to bring orchestral music of the highest standard within the reach of the general public. It therefore welcomed with enthusiasm the proposal to broadcast its concerts to the hundreds of thousands composing the radio audience and is preparing to make these concerts the finest musical event ever handled by radio. Before each performance a member of the Society discusses the compositions to be heard, and explains their musical significance. The series of concerts was started late in November. __The Homecharger "* chHTgcs your AUTO or RADIO Battery for a Nickel Price $18.50 Send for FREE Bulletin Dealers — Write Now. The Automatic Electrical Devices Co. 146 West Third.St. Cinoinnati, O.