New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-28
THE ELECTRIC LIGHT MIDDLE.

Tho eyistinp situation as regards the light
ing of this city at night cannot be maintained
long without great loss discomfort ana as
content. Already merchants are complaining
perhaps with some present inconsistency Vi
the adverse conditions under which they are
compelled to do business and certainly inc
streets are gloomy, if not unsafe. The pop
MAR demand that dangerous wires should come
down was perfectly rational. 1t was based
IN q general and well-foundcd apprehension,
and the decision of the General Term OF the
Supreme Court, affirming the right OF the COM
munity to be protected from deadly nuisance
gave universal satisfaction. Under authority
of the law, as the Judges declared 1t, the WORK
of removing electric-light wires which hau
heen officially condemned was begun promptly
and has been theoretically prosecuted. APP
nrehenson of being slaughtered without notice
Inv an invisible agent has disappeared but 1t Is
Enthusiastically being succeeded by dissatlsiac-
ton with the feeble illumination which the
Department of Public Works is supplying
out-of-d doors, and by angry criticism OF the
corporations which are not keeping their con-
tracts with private customers.
Nobody. we imagine, will deny that TINS IS
\ sufficiently accurate indication of the preva-
lent feeling. Whether it is altogether Iustlhed
is another matter. That the people are in an
uncomfortable predicament is not to be DIS
puted. and that they are not themselves dlrect-
" RESPONSIBLE for it is equally certain but Just
how the blame should be distributed NOBODY
has vet succeeded in determining, so far as
we are aware. 1t is an eXasperating, anu III
some of its aspects ridiculous dilemma III
cannot be supposed that great city which has
once been well lighted by electricity Will ever
again be contented with ancient standards OF
illumination-though this is by no means the
same thing as saving that gas is incompetent
TO do the work for there are places where IL
does the work remarkably well. 1t Is certain
that at some time in the future New-1 ork Will
possess more than it has lost, and the most I'M
portant duty of those who exercise authority
and enjoy valuable franchises is to bring tins
! future as near as possible.
There is a prevalent impression, which prob
ably is not unjust to all the factors concerned,
that they are deriving a greater or less degree
of satisfaction from the present state OF al
fairs though it might naturally be supposed
that rational beings would have found hlgher
enjoyment in cooperating to prevent the OK
istence of such situation. That sort OF free
and intelligent cooperation is precisely what
this city has never witnessed. The municipal
| authorities, the electric lighting companies and
the Subway Commissioners have given con-
slant exhibitions of their incOmpatibility OF
temper, but if they have ever made an honest
combined effort to adjust their differences and
fulfil public expectations they have been so
foolish as to conceal the fact Each element
in this tripartite disagreement has been eager
TO convict the others of bad faith and incOm-
potency, and it is small wonder if the people
are ready TO admit that each has succeeded.
1t must be confessed that the people them
selves have some remote responsibility for the
enactment of laws which made such display
of cross purposes possible and it is quite CON
ceivable that they will take "A hand in the game
at the coming session of the Legislature, and
retire the Board of Electrical Control to pri-
vate life. In the meantime they are not ready
to conclude that means could not be promptly
devised to make the electric light reasonably
safe. if conscience and sagacity were applied
to the task
Something has been gained already, which
the dark nights cannot conceal. The first step
in advance was taken when the immediate re-
sponSibility for the existence of deadly wires
was fixed upon the companies that own them.
One essential question has been settled and is
not likely to be hereafter disputed. With that
understanding just confirmed by the Grand
Jurys indictment of the superintendent of one
of the companies for manslaughter, we prefer
to believe that the problem of eradicating the
perils of electric illumination has made some
progress toward solution.