New-York tribune., 1880-04-04
RAILWAY AND TELEPHONE COMPANIES.

BUFFALO HAS GHlENANCES AGAINbT 1HEM.
To the EDITOR OF The Tribune
SIR: There Is considerable agitation In this city
at present tho Hepburn bill, and the Telephone
bill aud the action of the railroads IN obtaining pos
session OF certain Of streets The first named bill
has been discussed pretty freely and petitions
ousy signed been sent to Albany asking passage
OF the bill. large number OF our business men havc
been to Albany to oppose its passage. One Of the gen
tIemen who went from here to work against the bill
said to me: II Is question OF selshness with per-
haps but the railroads working as hard as they
TO defeat the bill Any who has the least influence
at Albany can secure pass TO go there"
The Telephone bill Is OF much Importance. The COM
panies apply the Common Council for permission to
place line OF wires along given street; no consua-
ton with interested persons is sought and the first nt
nation the householder has OF the intention OF the
Telephone Company Is, when, awakening some morn
Ing he finds gang or men digging hole before Ills
front gate, and erecting an immense unsChtly pole.
These poles vary from forty to sxydye feet In height
md from fifteen twenty inches In diameter They
are for the most part crooked knOtty, ugly-oOking
things devoid alike OF paint and beauty Remonstrance
with the men engaged In the work is useless They arc
obeyng orders and nothing but superior force can make
them desst-as witness the experience Of lawyer In
Rochester, The legal remedy Is expensive aud slow.
One OF these poles was placed In front Of my neigh
boris house. directly the to his lot and In
such position mako 1t impossible to approach his
those having the work In charge and asked them to
change the location OF the pole few feet, but they
would not advised him to cut the pole down. but the
fear OF an expensive litigation withheld him. then
undertook TO negotiate removal OF the pole, and
through my personal friendship with the superintendent
succccded IN having 1t removed three feet. though
was given distinctly to understand that had suc-
ceedcd from friendship and not because my friend had
any rights IN the matter Yet when this bill IS before
the committee the attorney OF the telephone companies
ccoy says What is the necessity for this bill There
ia no one petitlonng for its passage; the people
understand their rights, and II their rights arc
invaded, they can apply to the Courts for redress
The officers agents and attorneys Of our Telephone
Company are now In Albany seeking TO defeat fnls Dill
and tney may succeed MS s there to represent
the people unless the members OF Assembly should SUD
denly discover that that WAS part OF their sword
Tho raOsd Influence in this city Is almost 100 s,a0"s
IN be resisted I the Central Railroad desires 10 ny
track anywhere in the oity limits t peons que UUum m
M tr nrymisslon TO use street two, or as many as
r. wants; the petition is referred 10 tue Sommtce on
~ ~ ,s the chairman OF which is Central enpoye in
terested persons given hearing ior FORMS sake,
ami the committee recommend anu the Ccuncn Grant
The petition and the injured persons are ,ei1 10 tner
righr OF an appeal TO the Courts BUFFALO
TuNifO March 20, 1880.