Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-11
FOR BURIED WIRES.
The Public Safety Committee Acts
Favorably on the Matter.
GOES TO COUNCILS NEXT MONDAY.
Smoke Consumer and Street Car License
Bills Held Over.
IMPORTANT ORDINANCES CONSIDERED

The Committee on Public Safety met
yesterday afternoon and took up several
long-delayed measures of Importance. The
ordinances for underground wires and CON-
pelling street cars to stop before crossing
other lines were afirmatively recommended
to Councils. Among other things consid-
cred were the smoke consumer and cab or
dinances, both of which were held over for
further consideration. The question of
licensing street cars was considered and
will be finally acted on at the next meeting.
The meeting was called chiefly to act on
the underground wire measure. This has
been before the committee many times, but
owing to the enormous expense and other
difficulties bound to result from its passage
it has been held over from time to time for
further information. The ordinance, pub
lished in THE DISPATCH when first con-
sidered, prohibits the erection of poles in
the downtown district for telephone, mess
enger or electric light service, and provides
for the removal of those now in use and the
placing of wires in underground conduits.
The Time Is Too Short.
Superintendent Mead, of the Bureau of
Electricity, raised point against that por-
tion of the bill requiring the work to be
done by November Is, 1892. He said the
time was too short. The wires could not
be put down by the date given without hav-
ing all the streets torn up at the same time
and blockading traffic. Mr.. Murphy said if
the committee kept on extending the time
the work would never be done. This ended
the discussion and the ordinance was affirm
atively recommended. Councils will act on
it next Monday.
The Warmcastle smoke consumer ordi-
nance came up next. MI. Taggart said that
nothing practicable had been found to do
away with smoke; the consumers were SIM
ply in an experimental stage as yet, and to
order such thing on the manufacturers
guarantee would mean a very large outlay
of money. The ordinance was laid over.
Chief Browns plan for licensing street
cars and devoting the proceeds to hiring
officers for dangerous corners came in for its
share of consideration. The ordinance was
offered several months ago and provides for
an annual license of $50 on every car. Chief
Brown sent letter to the committee ex-
planning the necessity for such measure.
Uniformed Men Needed.
The Chief called attention to the great
danger to life by the rapid transit now in
use. The men stationed at corners by the
corporations had proved to be useless and
his idea was to increase the police force and
station an officer on each corner where
tracks crossed. These men would be uni
formed and under the control of the Police
Bureau, and the money derived from the
car license would pay them.
Mr. Russell wanted some definite infor-
nation on the subject. First as to the
number of cars run by each company and
secondly, whether this method would take
the responsibility for accidents off the cor
porations and place it on the city. The Or
dinancs was therefore laid over until the
next meeting, when the information will be
at hand.
The ordinance compelling all cars to stop
before crossing each others tracks was af-
frmatively returned to Councils.
The ordinance regulating the cab and
hack system and fixing prices to be paid by
passengers, also the one regulating the driv-
ing of cattle over the city streets, were re-
ferred to subcommittee with instructions
to report at the next meeting.