The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-14
WIRE CoNDUITS MUST WAIT.
The COUNCIL DECIDES THEY CAN
NOT BIZ LAID UNTIL FALL.

posed improvements It's New
building 10 lie Used Exclusively
for Telephone Purposes-Long Dis
lance Lines in Course of Conztruc-
tiOE-The New COmpany's PROPOSE
ton.
The city council last night passed the
Tiedeman ordinance. providing for the
laying Of underground conduits for tel
ephone and other purposes.
The ordinance goes into the subject IN
detail and Is intended 10 protect the city's
interests at every point in such changes.
The work to be done under the super
vision OF the committee on streets and
lanes and the city engineer. Not more
than 800 feet on any street or lane are al
lowed to be opened at one time and
trenches are not allowed 10 remain open
for longer than FIVE days
Manager Polk Of the Bell Telephone
Company was before the council and ex-
planned the plans under consideration by
his company for putting the wires under
ground. lie said DE was anxious to be-
gin the work at once, but the council de-
cided that on account of the near ap-
proach Of the heated term and the amount
Of excavation that would be necessary, it
was unwise TO allow the work to begin
now. The resolution granting permission
for the work was accordingly laid on the
table until Nov. T.
Alderman Fallgant took the position
that the ordinance should be amended
90 TO sf
other telephone companies and prevent
extortionate rates by the present com
pany. He urged the city to go slow in
the matter, and he rehearsed the history
Of the Bell telephone monopoly in New
York. where the rates have recently been
raised from SlS5 10 $3.50 year. Under
the proposed ordinance, he said, no pro-
vision is made for allowing other com
panies desiring to compete with the pres
ent company to come I'm and share the
benefits Of the conduit system on the pay
ment of a reasonable sum. The telephone
rates should also be fixed in the ordi-
nance to prevent extortion. he said.
Alderman Tiedeman replied that Alder
man Falligant was mistaken. The ordi-
nance. he said did not give exclusive
privileges TO any company or shut out
competition, nor did it even make it com
pulsory upon the present company to put
its wires under ground.
BY request Of Mayor Myers, City En-
sineer Winn made several recommends
lions as to slight changes in the manner
Of laying pipes, which Were Incorporated
in the ordinance.
Alderman Watson offered a resolution
that the Bell Telephone Company be
granted permission to lay conduits for its
wires on certain streets and lanes on con-
dition that the work be done by May /.
RTanaerar Polk said the streets anplfea
for embodied two plans, one Of which
would be adopted, one plan being to lay
wires north and south. and the other east
and west. Liberty street is as far south as
the company expects to go at present, he
said. The conduits will be laid below water
and sewer pipes. Mr.. Polk explained the
manner in which this work has been done
In other cities.
DR.. Drummer was called upon for his
views, and said that he should certainly
advise against allowing any such amount
Of excavation, amounting as Mr.. Polk
stated, to probably two miles.
Mayor Myers said that there would be
considerable excavation in laying the Bay
street main, which was another argument
against allowing further excavation.
The resolution was laid on the table on
motion of Alderman Falligant
The telephone company has i'm view a
general reconstruction and Improvement
of it's system and plant, which it was
anxious to begin at once had the city
granted it permission to do so. With its
new home, which it is about to erect at
Draytou and Congress streets, and COM
plete system of underground wires, with
the addition OF the latest improvements
in Instruments and possibly the lightning
express system, which it is more than
likely viii be put ia here Savannah win
have a thoroughly equipped telephone
service.
The Bell Telephone Company recently
purchased the lot at Drayton and Con-
gress streets, forty-five by sixty feet, and
will erect there a three-story brick build
ing 10 be used exclusively for telephone
purposes. 1t is probable that with the
of the building, which Will be
early in the fall, Savannah viii be made
the supply point of this district, which
includes Georgia, Florida, Alabama and
South Carolina. The increasing business
Of the company requires a larger space
for its Offices and storage.
The long distance system, it is expected, /
will be in operation between Savannah,
Macon, Atlanta, Montgomery, Columbus,
Jacksonville and nearly all southern cit
les early in the fall. 1t would be in opera
ton sooner if the poles for the building
Of the lines could be obtained. Work Is
in progress on the line between Atlanta
and Chattanooga now, and is about to
further west. The lines are already be
ing laid in Florida. When the long dis
lance system is in operation it is not
improbable that Savannah may be the
point where the coast lines converge
There is a possibility too, that it may
be made the headquarters of this dis
trict, the offices of which are now in
The Bell companys improve
ments in Savannah, including its new
building and plant, viii foot up between
$50 600 and $4,000
The new telephone company movers
started canvass yesterday for sub
scribers. The proposition as submitted
to the patrons Of the Bell Telephone Com
pany. is to furnish them an equally as
good service at IS per cent less cost The
hackers Of the enterprise say the new
viii be organized as soon as a
sufficient number of subscribers has been
obtained to insure its success 1t is IN
ders TODD that a number of gentlemen in
terested in the Electric railway and in the
Savannah Real Estate, Loan and Building
are back of the enterprise.
1t is not likely that the Bell company
will submit to a loss of dts business with
out a fight and a telephone rate war Is
not improbable. In a number of cities
where opposition companies have been
started they have been forced to retire