, 1881-04-24
TELEGRAPH WIRES.
What the Managers Think of the
~ New Ordinance. "
They Regard It as Utterly Impracti-
s.cab1e, and Will Disregard It.

| visited the telegraph and telephone Offices OF
| the city anu conversed with some Of the OIL
| GERS on the subject of the revised ordinance
| passed by the Council last Wednesday,
| which, looking towards the abolition Of the
telegraph pole nuisance, saddles upon the
| telegraph and telephone companies the pain
full necessity of having the cable system of
| te}egraplly completed throughout the city
within a few days time. The clause of tho
ordinance which places these companies in
this dllcma, VT ose other horn is wiilful yio-
lation Of municipal law. runs as follows:
mo person shall hereafter erect, con-
struct, or put up any telegraph pole, tele-
graph line, or wire, or electric conductor in
any street, avenue, or ALLEY. within the cor
| the penalty OF 500 for each and every Of
fense. And each and every day any such
telegraph, pole, line or wire, or electric con-.
ductor shall be continued and maintained
after the first conviction shall constitute a
new and separate otfense-"
The first office visited was that of the
American District Telegraph Company, on
La Sale street, where Mr.. FirInan, the lllall
aser, stated that the ordinance would yir-
throughout tlle city. Ii would certainly
the present telephone system. and would give
the present patrons Of the telephone coin
panics monopoly which would prove dis
company had il certainty Of a very large i'll
crease Of business. Between 800 and 4U0 APP
plications are on hand from parties desiring
telephones which cannot be filled until tie
as otherwise the wires would have to be
twice built. No further work in the way of
consolidating the Offices of the companies
could be done after May it the ordinance.
remained in force
NO new wires could be put up, and il
QS n H.
erwise they could not be replaced. III great
many eases the wires are run over
buildings by the courtesy Of proprietors.
If these were ordered off one building, it is
removal from many others. Then, again,
hardly day occurs that the city does not
give permit for the removal of building.
Down come the wires, and, after May !, in
such e2se they cannot 60 up aSain
ground:"
:" Taking for granted it could be done. if
we began this day it would take year to
accomplish the change. The city las ordered
lis to go under the ground, but it has shown
us no waY,to accomplish the change. They
have described Il ditch Of certain size as
available for the clty's telegraph and tele-
phone wires, and this same ditch will not
take in o1le-tenth Of our wires aione. ! COLI
slider the
ORDINANCE ABSOLUTELY 1SopERAT1vE,
because it cannot be obeyed without de-
struction OF our business. The Board OF
Directors have NOT considered the matter
yet; | suppose they will take legal advice
upon the subject and act accordingly"
Mr. Fay, manager Of the Bell Telephone
Company, made the same points and, in ex-
empliiication Of the absolute necessity Ut the
telephone to the businessman, said that just
now, when OIL account Ut the consolidation
the companies were not able to grant further
facilities, parties were offering Il premium
frr +f1a f1tEf frf11t i f1rn
who had just gone into business, finding
that he coull not be supplied, made an
offer Of Sl,GV0 for one, anti was delighted
when i party abandoning he use of his in-
EnowIcdged tliat the absence of the
telephone would cost him thousands Of
dollars annually; in fact he could not get
along without it. Tic lid not see how the
business could develop, Or really how it
moved lie would be obliged to abandon Ills
instrument, as the building Of another wire
to connect with his new place Of business
would be Illegal
The reporter called finally upon s1r. Nor
man William. of the law firm Of Williams IS
Thompson. for the purpose OF having some
legal light thrown upon the matter. Mr..
Williams coryersed freely upon tue subject,
and showed that he was at home both in the
practical and legal aspects of the case.
Auropos Of the passage Of the ordinance,
he was of the opinion that the Council hai
passed it under the lnisapprehension that it
was what is known Us the Barrett ordi-
nance which provides for the gradual substi-
tuition within the city Of the cable for the
pole system of wires, which ordinance is
generally acceptable to the telegraph cnm-
panies. Only two or three members Of tho |
Council really appreciated the full purrort |
Of the opening clause of the ordinance, and
they acknowledged that they voted for its
passage, as they feared their not doing SO
might affect the chances Of other ordinances
going through.
The reporter called Mr. Williams attention
terested parties that it was not III the power !
Of the Council to repeal or amend the ordi.- |
nance without inval1datins all the revised |
ordinances, but Alr. Williams said that this |
was Il mistake. The Council could amend !
the error it had fallen into. aid would doubt |
less do SO at all early period.
- have converscd with tefcgraphers who |
think that the law is imperative" the re- J
porter remarked.
) - Tie law is law, or will be somewhere !
obeyed. i am afraid, though, the city would |
BIZ obliged to
BREAK IT'S OWN ORDINANCE
under a certain emergency. Now. suppose
one of the tire-aarn telegraph, wires comes
down. what is the city going to dog? 1t is
ea ee H I IT wres p ss5 s5re5 If fns q5 @ s pS
mend it, is it noto Take the extreme case,
and suppose that a. sturn, has broken up the !
entire tire-a!arM telegraph system Of the
city; under the ordinance the city could not
mend matters, and the community might, it /
tue ilnpracticabe ordinance we're 0heyctt, be
left to the mercy OF the flames. The same
storm would destroy all other lines III the
.ity, and Chicago, which does more tele-
graphing, perhaps, than any city in the
world, would be left without this absolutely
.ssential adjunct to her business SYSTEM:
Take just one commercial b0dy,-the Board
If .Trade.-and consider how its lne1n-
oers would be affected by suspension
IT teiegrap phic communication. To give {.
parallel case to the results Of this
ordinance ii it were put III operation,
ct us suppose that an ordinance passes ell
orcing all locomotives. under penalty. to
consume their own smoke after May l. Now,
here has been invented rs yet ITO practical
means Of consuming locomotive smoke, so
hat the railroad companies would have to
10 one Of two tliings,-either suspend opera
ions Gr defy the ordinance"
:" Bit it is held by soMe that the cable sys-
em ca1i be adopted by the telegraph coin
)anieS?"
!" Within ten days? Hardly. Besides, as
ct there has not heen accomplished
system of cables which the
INVENTORS will guarantee as
The telegraph companies are
ooking for 1t, and when it is done the saving
yer the present system will be large. There
!, talk of fifty wires heing compressed into
ohln rr i,,rl Hiof1afar h1,t y~1nti. /