Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-07
Some OF the changes in existing Law pro-
posed BY the provisos in he District appropri-

Some Of the changes in existing law pro-
posed BY the provisos in he District apPropri-
alton bill - reported by the House committee
are Of general interest In reference to over
bead wires, existing law forbids the Commits
siooe1 10 "permit or authorize any additional
telegraph, telephone, electric lighting, or
other wires 10 be erected or maintained on or
over any Of the streets or avenues OF the city
Of Washington" This provision Is repeated in
the House bill with the addition Of the words
"and Georgetown" thus remedying the defect
which was discovered in the law when appi-
cation was made to the Commissioners by the
Tsnlsytown road for o permit TO erect
such wires in Georgetown. The law thus
amended seems to be in shape to prevent with
effect the growth Of the overhead wire system
of the District cities and to hold it in It's present
condition until, acting upon the plan>o be re-
ported BY the Commissioners, Congress can
carry into effect its avowed purpose of burying
the entire network. Though, by the existing
Law and by the provision in the House bill re-
stating the law with the above amendment, the
erection or maintenance Of additional overhead
electric light wires il forbidden entirely,
another provision Of the House bill seems to
propose discrimination In favor of electric
light wires by permitting their erection overhead
without limit until September 30th, 1890, and
their temporary erection and maintenance in
cases Of supposed necessity thereafter. This
clause reads - follows: "And no wires for the
operation Of public or private electric lighting
shall Be erected or maintained on or over any
Of the streets or avenues Of the cities of WASH
ington and Georgetown after September 80,
1880, but the Commissioners of the Dis
trict Of Columbia may authorize the tenn
porsry erection and maintenance Of such
wires in cases Of necessity" The adoption
Of this provision would nuIify the present law
and the corresponding section Of the House
bill so far as the electric light wires, the most
dangerous Of all. are concerned. They are to
be erected at the pleasure Of the companies
until September 80, 1890, and at the pleasure
of the Commissioners after that date The
proposed change would make nonsense Of the
law. By September 80, 1890, the electric light
companies now existing and to be hereafter
created could envelope the whole city in a
cloud Of overhead wires. New companies seem
10 be contemplated by the House bill. 1t is
provided that the Commissioners in inviting
proposals for electric lights shall not be Slim
tied to any one system" and it is proposed to
amend the existing law which empowers the
Commissioners to authorize the laying of EXIST
ing wires under the city streets by extending
the privilege to the wires of ''any electric COM
pany with whom contract may be made for the
public lighting" Congress has said that no
more overhead wires Of any kind shall hereafter
be erected. The Commissioners have shown
q disposition to make an exception in favor
Of electric railway wires. This provision
proposes an exception in favor of electric
Light wires. The owners of the telegraph and
telephone wires will undoubtedly, on these
precedents, claim that an exception should also
be made in their favor, and that the wires with
the weakest electric current Of all should re-
main unburied The work Of making such ex-
ceptions cannot be safely entered upon. II
il IL once begun. the result win be that no over
head Xirea Nhatayer will be hnriad