The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-04-10
FIXING A POLE TAXRATE
MAYOR M'DONCUGH's ORDINANCE
TO Be READY SOON.

It VIII Fe Modelled After Those OF
Other Cities that Fave Already Ac-
ted-A Wire Basis Taxation Of the
Poles suRgested-A Rate OF IS Fer
Pole viii Probably Be Decided Upon
The Mayor SSH Working az His IN
derground Scheme.
Mayor McDonough will soon be in posi-
tion to have the pole tax ordinance pre-
pared and submitted TO the council lie
has secured copies Of the ordinances on this
important subject from many cities Of the
north and west, and from this collection he
will draft an ordinance for Savannah.
He will leave the rate Of taxation plank, TO
be filed in by che council when II considers
the measure.
The majority Of cities which have i'm
posed this new tax have fixed the rate at g
per pole, few have made it 81 and 5! so
and st. Louis collects IS for every pole.
Savannah's tax will likely be So.
A well-knowu citizen in speaking on tho
subject a few days ago suggested that the
poles be taxed according 10 the number OF
wires carried. say 25 cents for pole with
only one wire and ten tin&s % cents on
pole with ten wires.
TIE MAYORS UNDERGROUND SCHEME.
Mayor MoDonough expects TO follow the
example of other cities in this important
matter, and levy a general and uniform
tax. While considering the tax question he
has not forgotten bis underground wire
scheme, and is IN correspondence with prom
inent electricians about it. he hopes to got
the wires started underground before his
term expires
The levying of the pole tax in Kansas
City has started the underground movement
there, and the probability is that within
year Kansas City will have all the wires
which now traverse her streets below
the surface. A conduit company has been
formed by wealthy citizens, whose scheme
is to get the right to construct a conduit for
wires and get a revenue by charging tele-
graph, telephone, electric light and other
companies & reasonable yearly rental, much
less than the pole tax they now have to pay.
A CHANCE FOR INVESTMENT.
For the use Of the streets the conduit
company offers to allow the use Of the
conduit for the police and fire alarm wires
free Of charge. IL there is money in such
an enterprise in Kansas City, there ought
70 he money in il also in Savannah. The
scheme opens a new avenue for investment
70 some Of our progressive citizens.
There are between 1000 and 5000 poles in
the streets OF Savannah. A So year tax
would bring in q neat sum annually to the
city treasury, which could be put to good
use either for house drainage or street paw
ing purposes
Il STREAM TURNED INTO ELECTRICITY.
Another strong argument in favor OF put
ting the wires under ground is the peculiar
and fatal accident that cost a fireman his
life at Ogden, Utah, week before last.
While at work at FIRE the firemen threw
a stream of water into the building. The
stream struck an electric light wire, and in
a short time wore away the insulation. The
wafer struck the naked electric wire, and
was thrown against fireman at work in the
building, giving bin a shock that caused
his death.
The Fjremaa's Herald. in commenting
on the accident says: This adds another
danger to those already known in connec-
tlon with the electric wires and should
prove another strong argument in favor of
placing all such wires under ground. II
death can be dealt out TO "a man IN this way,
great precaution will have to be taken to
have oil electric currents turned off as soon
rs en- alarm IS struck, for il will be i'm
possible to guard against this danger in any
other way. If a stream of water will con-
vey an electric shock strong enough to kill,
there is danger to every man with whom it
comes in contact. it will be we'll for those
In authority to see that the men are pro
teced from this danger. Arrangements
should he made with electric light COM
panles to either send a man TO answer every
alarm, or else to shut off the current in the
district from which the alarm comes as
soon as IL is turned in Best of all though
would be to compel the companies to put
the wires under ground ."