Evening journal., 1889-04-04

orporate the place as an lhSoipoHe.eu
own Under the present restricted rules
hat surround this, one Of the best OF
easide resorts. it has amounted to yirtu-
lily nothing. The secret society people |
,ext occupied the attention OF the com |
nittee. They were down to fight DIR.
Nathan Pratt's bill TO limit beneficial
society insurance to $500. The commit
tee went away very happy with the hope
that the bill was suitably inferred. The
Telegraph Company next occu-
MED the attention of the committee.
NEW STATE HOUSE.
The committee on new State House held
a meeting at noon to-day and after
short session decided to employ E. l..
Rice as an architect, to prepare plans for
the Improvement of the State House. II
IS thought very likely that Mr. Rice will
prepare plan that will contemplate ex-
tensive improvements. The feeling Of
the members is decidedly more favorable
towards improvements than it has at any
time yet.
WOMEN TO VOTE AT SCHOOL ELECTIONS.
Senator Donahoe introduced his bill
to-day giving women the right to vote.
1t is as follows:
Section THAT from and after the
passage Of this act, every woman. mar.
ried or single, of the age Of q years and
upwards, having personally resided IN
any school district in this state where she
offers to vote, for thirty days next pre-
ceding any stated adjournment or occa-
sional meeting Of the school voters
therein, or having personally resided Tor
thirty days in any ward IN the CITY OF
Wilmington where she offers to vote, for
thirty days next preceding any election
for members Of the Board of Public Edu-
cation in Wilmington, and having paid
school tax within one year next De1ore
any such meeting of the school voters as
aforesaid or next before any election Tor
members of the Board Of Public Educa-
tion as aforesaid, which has been as
sessed on real estate owned by her and
situated within this state, shall be a
school voter of said district and ward, and
and entitled to vote all said meetings and
elections. The bill has many friends and
will in all probability become law.
THE WIRES UNDERGROUND.
The Legislature was entertained this
evening by discussion upon the merits
and demerits of underground wires.
Council was represented by City Solicitor
Turner. w. II. Quinn aud Daniel Mcken-
ney. With the party In favor of under
ground wires there were: w. II. john
stone of the Johnstone Conduit System,
Delaney c. Walker Of Burlington N. j.,
| j. B. Ecclesine of New York and IL. H.
| Cobb of Wilmington, representing the
Cobb Yulcanite Company; Chief Engi'
neer Of the Fire Department McCracken,
Patrick Neary and Joseph X. Adams.
The opposition comprised; William b.
Gill OF Philadelphia, superintendent of
the Western Union; George Merrihew,
assistant superintendent Western Union I;
S. N. Trump, +. L. Gilpin and Captain
Smith Of the Wilmington Electric Light
| Company. and ]. H. Mahaffy of the
Delaware and Atlantic Telephone, and
Telegraph Company The meeting was
held in the hall of the House, with Sena-
tor Dorman in the chair.
Councilman Quinn opened the talking
by stating the danger of electric light
wire.
w. II. Johnstone followed in a rattling
talk in favor of underground wires in
general and his system in particular.
Mr.. Johnstone called on Captain Smith,
but the latter did not reply. The opposi
ton up to this time had kept quiet, but
William b. Gill now started in to reply
He said the people of other places ha,
heard the same stories from Mr. John
stone and had listened well but no
wisely He had induced them to pu
down a conduit which had never been o
any use, into which a wire had neve
been put. which has borne fruit in ex
plosive manholes If his company coul
find way they had as much talent a
hand and as much means and more In
terest than Mr.. Johnstone has, for MI
Johnstone has something to unload wher
we have something to protect. Mr.. Gil
said: "Mr. Johnstone's system is an e'
cellent system-for Mr. Johnson-but
you were stockholders in it you wouldn
want Il. !"
Mr.. johnson in reply claimed this
there were 9, 200 miles of undergrour
wires in Germany. The Western Unio
has four miles in Washington and the
have many miles in Chicago. He said IL
Western Union tried to down them bl
! they have not done it and they we
! ready TO face and brave that monopo
d now" He. Mr.. Johnson, was ready If Il
I electric light, telegraph and telephol
men could not afford to bury their wire
4 to take the job off their hands, to gi'
> bond that the work should be proper
q done.
Chief Engineer McCracken spoke
/ the dangers and inconvenience resulti
~ from fires in Wilmington.
/ Mr. Gill would simply ask that {
!. facts connected with the wires of @
! cago be brought out. If the commit
I would give the opponents of the bill
IL future hearing, they would establi
~ these. He referred to the recent exp
q sion in front of the Fifth Avenue Hot
"a New York, as an illustration Of the di
gers from the underground wires.
4. Mr.. Ecclestine extended an invitati
a. for the Legislature to 60 TO New "
u and view the workings there, and .
y Solicitor Turner suggested that both si'
ng be again heard on next Wednesday mis-
al week The meeting then adjourn
n. Appropos of the meeting. the represen
al tives Of the telephone and telegraph CO
he panies met the joint committees
n. inquire into the amount Of their businC
he The companies made a statement Of th
so business and both sides came to an agi
Al ment that each wire should be taxed
hit much and something should be char
,rd upon their gross receipts.
ro- NOTES.
in The Senate agreed to the non-receip
zee any more new business after Mon
lc next.
he The Senate to-day passed the sti
iut peidlers' bill. 1t imposes license-u
de all Inherent vendors and hucksters
&C. Goods. wares and merchandise
ok Representative Eckles sold all d
ms ments Of the Revised Statute Commi
be- to-day