New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-26
THE MAYOR WILL ACT.
LAYING DOWN THE LAW ABOUT WIRES
HE WILL NOT STAND UNNECESSARY DhhAA AN
TAKING THEM DowN-srRIcr IN
sTRucTIoNs.

m. ,oonrc ~ tho Board of Electrical Control yes
tsra.v attracted an unusual number Of persons inter
asted IN electrical light aud telegraph companies-a
~ theee except the western Union having one or more
representatiyes present The outcome Of the mee'inS
was additional evidence that Mayor Grants miiu VA"
made up that the overhead wires must De pViiO, "
that 50 powerful a corporation as the "eso'" 49,.
relegranb Company could not change his purpose
The report OF General Manager Ecker'' Oh "'o 49,
poltan Telephone and Telegraph company wa 80 80
some 1000 miles Of wlrcs--over 80 per cont VI s'
hurled wIrcs-had been laid by the Me'ropohtan Noi
many at a cost Of s147 900. Tho report ended oy eA
nars,no no hoo that before many months all the
comnanv,s wires would be underground This lnden-
,, ,rav NJ promising what the Mayor Thought ought
10 he now done did not suit him and he SAID, win en-
phass:
1Mr Eclcert nuIlifes HIS entire statement by saying
that u Will take many months yet don't thlnh Ms
company is doing its best"
Mr. Eckert trIsd to mollfy the Mayor, and ComHus
scner Gibbons thought that tho spending OF
nv ,he company to bury the wires evidence OF goou
faith a,-,. l..
"That's nothing" replied the Mayor nat =
s,47ooo 10 a company that charges such exoroitant
telephone rates as the Metropolitan exactsF
A communication from the United states lluininsF
inc Company repeated that the subways were use
less but as soon as their cable was ready the pOso
test should be made. II want It understood the
MAYOR said that the forty-ive days allowed TINS
company should not DO consumed in only getting the
cable ready but the test must be completed by that
time. On the forty-hfth day 1 mean to take some
action"
No report came from the Western Union Company
and no representative appeared before the Board The
Mayor noted the fact and said: ~Lct the secretary
write to the Western Union Company, ana tel theni
10 take down their poles within twenty days Tho
Mayors determination embodied In resolution
and adopted. Manager Eckert, Of che Metropolitan
Company, asked for sixty days to mako connections
and get his wires under ground
Your company replied Mr. Grant, charges
enough and gets enough revenue from IT'S exorDiiam
charges TO mako these improvements without delay
The time for the Western Union and the metropolitan
compantes was afterwaTd extended to thirty days
The Mayor gave notice that at the meeting OF the
Board of Estimate day no would bring up the qns'
ton of an appropriation. The rule was adopted AZ
the suggestion of Expert Wheeler. that companies
should be required 10 one pole limo instead OF
encumbering parallel streets plan winch Is OK
pected 10 reduce the poles 40 per cent 80, .
The Mayor moved 70 deny every application 20
string wires until the corporation asking the prNese
showed honest purpose TO bury rs wires ne also
directed the secretary TO Inform the Police Depatf;
ment what permits had been granted VIII can
on Chief Inspector Byrnes myself the Mayor endea.
and request him to that other companies are
permitted 10 string wires"