Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-14
An Electric Wire Problem.
TIE COMMISSIONERS ASK THEIR ATTORNEY TO 4
TrRPRET THE LAW

An Electric Wire Problem.
| TIE COMMISSIONERS ASK THEIR ATTORNEY TO r.
| rrRPRET THE Law.
As stated heretofore In TIE STAR, there has
been some question raised by the Commission
| ers a. to the Interpretation Of clause in the
current appropriation act, authorizing the
placing Of overhead wires of any existing tele-
graph, telephone or electric-light company
| under any street. alley. highway, footway. or
sidewalk in the district whenever in the iudg-
| ment of the Commissioners, the public interest
may require. In the appropriation bill for the
next nscai year there is a somewhat similar
| clause, reading as follows:
That the Commissioners of the District of
Columbia may hereafter, under such reasonable
conditions as they may prescribe, authorize the
overhead wires of any telegraph, telephone or
electric-light company to be laid under any
street, alley, highway, footway or sidewalk in
the District whenever in their judgment the
public interest may require the exercise of such
authority, such privileges may be granted
hereunder, to be revocable at the will of Con-
gress without compensation, and this authority
TO continue only until the termination of the
Fifty-first Congress-
For some time past the Commissioners have
withheld their permission to all companies to
bury their wires. Major Raymond yesterday
afternoon submitted a letter to the Commits
sioners bearing upon the subject which was,
together with the conflicting clauses from the
appropriation acts, referred to Attorney Riddle
for Interpretation. Major Raymond's letter
| says:
The only difference between these two pro-
visions is that the authority granted the Com
missioners in the act Of 1889 applied to the
wires of any existing telegraph. telephone or
electric light company now operating in the
granted in the act of 1890 applies to the over
head wires of any telegraph. telephone or cleo
tric-light company Before issuing permits
under the existing law to any of the electrical
companies to place their wires underground it
| is desirable that the exact significance of this
change in language shall be authoritatively de-
termined. 1t is my duty to submit to the board
recommendations to guide their actions with
reference to all such permits and desire that
my recommendations may conform strictly to
the law. Accordingly, your attention is invited
to the following points with the suggestion that
they be referred to the attorney of the District
for his opinion thereon.
81. It is assumed that the law does not require
that the wire actually overhead must be placed
underground, but merely that suitable under
ground cable may be substituted for the exist
ing overhead line along any convenient route.
Can authority be given a company to place
underground more wires than it now has over
head, and wires devoted to business which it is
not now transacting? In other words, is the
power Of the Commissioners limited to author
izing the underground establishment of exist
ing overhead lines, or may the Commissioners
permit the companies to increase the number
OF their underground lines indefinitely along
the routes occupied by them2 1t is, for ex-
ample, desirable to permit an electric-lighting
company having conduit established along a
street for public lighting. to draw into that
conduit wires for the purposes Of private light
ing, even II those wires are not now overhead,
If this can legally be done.
80 Can the Commissioners legally authorize
a company to extend its system into streets not
now occupied by it with either overhead or
underground lines, such extension being for
the purposes Of new business which the COM
pany is not now transacting?'
From Rockville.
VARIOUS HAPPENINGS IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY
THE PROPOSED FARMERS NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
AND ACCIDENTS.
Correspondence Of THE EVENING STAR.
ROCKVILLE, March IL, 1889.
A mass meeting Of the farmers of this county
will be held at the Town hall this place, on the
2Sth instant, to take into consideration the
question of the formtion of a farmers insti-
tute. 1t is urged that the formation of SINH
lar associations in other parts of the state have
led to beneficial results to the farming COM
munity in all sections where thew have been
established. This subject was first brought to the
attention of our farmers by Prof. Alvord, of
the Agricultural college, the plan having been
tried In many Of the western and northern
states and at the last meeting of the Agricul-
tural society OF this county a committee was
appointed to call meeting and urge farmers
to attend. At the morning session the subject
of potato culture will be opened bv Prof w.
H. Bishop, horticulturist Of the Maryland Agri-
cultural college, and at the afternoon session
Prof b. E. Alvord of the same institution will
lecture on commercial fertilizers, both to be
followed by general discussion. The meeting
will be held under the auspices of the Agri-
cultural society.
The following have been excused from the
jury lately drawn to serve at the March term Of
the circuit court: John Mcdonald, Jas. W,
Allnutt, John E. Knott. Roger B. Farquhar
Reuben A. Hurley. Samuel Scott, Luther King,
John Jones, Edward Grary, and the following
will serve in their places Thos. o. White,
Henry n. Miller, Chas. N. Ward Geo. Howard,
Jones. Of W., c. R. Hershey and Thos. W.
Moore.
Hobart Hutton, esq.,, of the Rockville bar. is
seriously i'll at his home near Norbeck, this
county.
Miss May Peter, Of Buffalo. N. Y. has for
several days been a visitor at the home of her
uncle, Hon. George Peter, of this place.
Capt. F. NJ. McGlensey, U. 8. N, resident
OF this place, who has for some time been
suffering with rheumatism, was to-day removed
to Washington for medical treatment.
Thomas Hendley, young man living on the
farm OF Mr.. Lee Ofutt, few miles from this
place, met with a serious accident YESTERDAY.
While engaged in cutting wood the axe he was
using glanced and inflicted bad wound, al
most severing his right foot from the ankle.
Mrs. Anderson, wife of DR.. Edward Anderson,
is critically i'll at her home in this place.
s. A. NJ.
D