St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-04
THE CONDUIT SYSTEM.
Discussed by the Board Of Trade
at Its Monthly Meeting.

Discussed by the Board or Iraue
at Its Monthly Meeting.
The board of trade discussed the con-
duit system of Minneapolis as pin
cipal topic yesterday morning at its reg
ular monthly meeting. G. j. Buell., the
redOubtable labor advocate and single
tax man, few weeks ago introduced a
resolution to the effect that there should
be one conduit system in the city, and
that the board of trade recommend that
the city construct that system and rent
space for wires at so reasonable a rate
that all companies would put their wires
into them. j.. n. Mind, chairman OF
the committee to which the resolutions
were referred, said that there had not
been quorum of that committee, but
three of the members had met and they
be adopted. A. B. Barton was violently
opposed to the recommendation of any
such resolutions. He knew a little
about electrical engineering him
self and thought the board
should be very slow about oyerturning
all that the powers at the city hall had
been doing in the past six months. 1t
was big question and he hadn't looked
for it to come up. He thought it only
just that all interested parties should
be present when the vote was made.
Mr.. Buell. moved that the resolutions be
adopted, $50 as to bring them under
discussion" he said, and then he dis
cussed them at length. The city coun
Gil had already granted franchises to
three companies who would tear up the
streets, and following the principles
they had adopted, there was no limit to
the number of times that the new COM
panies would be blocking the streets,
putting down their lines. He said there
were number of companies that OBJ
iected to putting their wires into the
Dorset conduits. The city should
build one tunnel below the main streets
connecting with each building by
means of branches through their baset
ments. This, he calculated, would
cost $4,000 mile. j. NJ. Bartlett
sprang to his feet with the remark: II
am one of those who are willing to have
the city streets torn up whenever
a new company wants to put
wires down. 1t is no detri-
ment to. the city. It shows
progress; shows that we are doing
something and there is plenty of room
on the other streets to drive along. Be-
sides every time the streets are torn up
it gives laboring men work. lam sur
prised to hear labor advocate such a
monopoly as the city would make of
such a conduit system. Every COM
pany knows best how to put in its own
wires. and should have free permission
to do it.
II. A. Towne sided with Buell. and said
that all the cities of the old world were
putting all their water mains and sew
ers and wires into one tunnel, and that
it was time the American cities followed
their example.
J. 3. BaSsett was not exactly pre-
pared to vote in favor of such move,
nor was he ready to vote against it, as
he moved to have the question laid over
for one month, and it was so disposed of.
Capt. Reno read a communication
from Thomas Lincoln Casey, brigadier
general chief OF engineers, relative to
improving the river between Minneap-
OILS and st. Paul for navigation. The
captain deduced from the cOmmunica-
ton and old records that there would
be S1,O00,0O0 to be expended on the
river between these two cities by July,
1890.
81. Nelson said that the committee
appointed on railroad crossings was not
ready to report, as the st. LOUIS officials
are having plan prepared that is
thought better than the proposition of
the Manitoba.
The waterpower and navigation COM
mittee were instructed to appoint a
committee of three to attend a conven-
ton at West Superior, Wis, Aug. 6.
that will discuss the waterways of the
Northwest.
Secretary Hall announced that there
1,n oytv rf ipfU
Minneapolis June 5. and that he had
made arrangements for their entertain
ment. He received the vote of thanks
of the board.