Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-09

TAX on TELEGRAPH POLES STRICKEN OUT ON A
POINT ORDER.
The District appropriation bill was passed
by the House after The STARS report closed
yesterday afternoon. Mr.. Mason of Illinois
made point of order against the provision
placing a license tax of s25 on telegraph poles.
The clause objected to read: That the Com
missioners of the District of Columbia may
hereafter, under such reasonable conditions as
they may prescribe, authorize any telegraph,
telephone or electric light company to lay
wires under any street, alley, highway, footway
sidewalk in the District whenever in their
judgment the public interest may require the
exercise of such authority, such privileges as
may be granted hereunder to be revokable at
the will of Congress without compensation. and
this authority to continue only until the termi-
nation of the Fifty-hrst Congress. and the
Commissioners OF the District of Columbia are
hereby authorized and directed to impose and
collect license fee of S25 per anuum against
any corporation, person or persons for each
and every telegraph or telephone pole MAIN
tanned by IL, him or them III any street or ave-
nue. in the cities of Washington and George
town after July l, 1891"
NR. M'COMAs FAvoRs UNDERGROUND WIRES.
Mr.. McComas made an appeal for the reten-
ton of the clause. He said: 1.-The provision
1DcAuutu III the OIL mas IHc recommendation OF
the Commissioners of the District and has been
approved by their attorneys. 1t is in pursu-
ance of the well understood desire the
part of Congress and the people to remove
these overhead wires and to put them under
ground appeal 20 my friend to let these tel
egraph companies be dealt with by the Com
misslOners III the way here provided. | hope
his sympathles are with the people in this
matter. When these companies occupy the
public streets with their poles and persist in
keeping up their overhead wires / hope my
friend will not insist i'll behalf of that monop-
oily, the Western Union telegraph company. on
his point of order. when the evil complained of
can be so expedltiously stopped by carrying
out the provision contained Ill the bill. There
are miles and miles of wires put under ground
IN safe conduits by three different companies.
Under this provision those which still remain
overhead can be taken down and put safely
under ground. and | hope my friend will not
prevent US from doing so by insisting upon his
point of order"
MR.. sPRISGER's PROPOSITION.
Mr.. Springer-If the gentleman from Mary
land will allow me will say a word or two ON
the point of order. That portion of the para
graph against which the point of order has
been made by my colleague is no more out of
order than the remaining portion. If it be
declared that the paragraph commencing in
line 10 after the word Congress" down to the
close, is out of order, then SO Is the paragraph
lEOU the beginning uOWn TO the WOfQ Con-
gress" also out of order. But no point of
order has been made against the first portion
of the paragraph. That being the case, it is
perfectly IN order now to move an amendment
TO that proposed legislation by adding the Ian
guGge proposed by the committee, and which
Is to be found in the bill after the word 'Con
gress," in line Is, to the end of the paragraph.
Mr.. McComaS-I am obliged to the gentle
man from Illinois for his suggestion, and if the
chair SO rules will adopt the course which he
recommends.
Mr.. Sprlnger-K the first portion Of the
paragraph Is allowed to remain any member
can move as an amendment what is germane to
that paragraph.
Mr.. Hemphill-I wish to raise the point of
order against that.
Several members-Too late.
Mr.. Hemphill-No. ii is not too late. I was
on my feet when the gentleman from Illinois
rose to make his point of order.
Mr.. McCOmas-It is the existing law
Mr.. HemphIll maintained that it differed from
the existing law.
ALMOST A NUISANCE.
Mr.. Springer said that If the latter clause of
this paragraph is to be stricken out on the
point of order, as intimated by the chair. the
rest of the paragraph may well go out with
II, for it will be entirely nugatory. Under that
paragraph. If allowed to remain in that shape
nothing could be accomplished, for the Com
missiOners could impose no penalty for refusing
to comply with II. and hence it would have no
force or effect hope, however, that my col
league CHR. Mason) and the gentleman from
South Carolina (Mr. Hemphill) will Withdraw
the points of order from the whole paragraph
and allow II to stand as 1t Is in the bill. do
not see any objection that gentlemen residing
without the city of Washington could have to
allowing the Commissioners to require the
telegraph and telephone companies to Law their
wires under ground. 1t seems to me a very
wise provision and should be enacted into law
and hope these gentlemen will not oppose a
technical objection to this desirable legislation
The obstruction to the streets by Telegraph
and telephone poles Is getting to be almost a
nuisance IN many parts OF the country, if not
in the city of Washington. and hope the gen
tlemen who reside without the city will allow
the District Commissioners such authority as
Will enable them to require these wires to be
put under ground III tins great capital city, as
Is being done in the other cities of the country"
Mr.. Hemphill-l simply want to state on the
point OF order that this subject to the same
objection made by the gentleman from Illinois
(Mr. Mason) to another clause of the paragraph;
and, upon an examination of the statute / find
that the present law and the law as proposed to
be enacted by this bill are not the same and
hence 1t Is not re-enactment OF the former
statute on that subject. AS ia the general sub
lect OF putting the wires under ground we all
agree that 1t ought TO be done, but that it
should be done under regular system. We do
not believe that this Is u proper way to do it.
Mr.. M'CoMAs EXPLAINS.
Mr.. McComas-The chair has ruled out the
words imposing fine on the telegraph COM
pany and others who shall for one year main
tain the poles on the streets. The first part of
this provision Is Substantially the language of
the current law. IL the chair happened to hear
what read. think the chair will bear me out
In that statement. IL the chair desires il will
however, re-read the current law. This pro-
vision IN the present appropriation bill, as re-
ported by the committee, provides that the
District Commissioners may hereafter, under
regulations. authorize any telegraph. telephone
or electric hight company to lay wires under
any OF the streets, alleys, highways footways
or sidewalks IN the District whenever in their
Judgment the pubic interest may REQUIRE the
exercise of that authority, and that to be under
the control Of this Congress, the Fifty-first The
law as II now stands simply adds with respect
to overhead wires, that those that are now over
head may be placed under ground. As have
shown, they have been so placed TO a large ex-
tent The present law simply contemplates
that II other companies come III here in compe-
tition with the present electric light companies,
and who may bid against these companies and
thereby lessen the cost to the people in eompe-
titlon for these lights, these wires also
may go under ground well other wires
authorized by the Law.
wow, Mr.. Chairman, the spirit of the cur
rent law and the spirit of this bill are precisely
alike. They have the same purpose in view
that is, To put all of the wires that have come
or may hereafter come under ground and au-
thorlze the Commissioners to make proper