Evening star., 1896-03-07
DISCUSSING THE POLE
The Commissioners Considering the Ques.
tion Today.
COnferring With Attorney Thomas
Grade Crossings - Other
District Affairs.

"A soou portion OF To-Day was devoted at
the District building to the consideration
OF the pole question as raised by President
Thomas of the United States Electric
-lsntlng Company. The Commissioners
called for Attorney Thomas almost the first
thlng this morning and Immediately went
into secret conference upon the matter.
capt. F1ebeger, under whose direct charge
the case comes. was called into the con-
ference, and for several hours the situation
was discussed. The enforced absence of
commissioner Ross today was the only
thlng' 1t Is understood. that kept the Com
m.Ssioners from taking decisive action.
hey agreed to this today. That the care
~ ~, .ie streets Is in the Commissioners
l nat any thing erected therein not author
i1eu Dy law Is an obstruction, and AS s,Ich
can De removed. That whatever else NAV
nave been the facts, President Thomas had
no iient 10 erect a pole without first OBJ
tanning permit therefor from the Com
missloners They do not discuss the ext
sencles that may have brought about the
erection OF the pole, and think il any did
exist, the electric light company had re-
course by mandamus to compel the issu-
ance of the permit, after the same had
been refused
Mai. P0velrs Statment.
Major Powell, when asked about the sit
uation this afternoon. said:
ihe 1Hiteu states Electric Lighting
Company received permit to lay two
Underground conduits for the purpose of
burying its then existing overhead wires.
II those conduits We're not made large
enough 1t is no fault of the Commissioners
Again. If the wires which are now over
mead were not in existence at the time of
the granting of the permit for the conduit
constructions then they have been erected
contrary to law, and are Illegal"
Another conference was held this after
noon, when 1t WAS agreed to Let matters
take their course, until the case is heard by
the Police Court. The Commissioners are
determined TO settle this pole and over
ntad wire question in the near future The
warrant (Whrrh was sworn ou. by Lieuten-
ant Amfss) appears to cover the case but
the commissioners are not certain as TO its
scope. Alter tine case has been settled
py the Police Court the Commissioners
VIII 1mmediA tetN proceed With a consitlera-
ton OF the general subject Of oyernead
wires. 1850 q, rs-.l
The Commissioners were asked this after
room by reporter of The Star if it was
their purpose to remove the pole
They replied they would see to 1t that the
law was enforced.
The reporter then called attention to the
fact that the new pole was strung with
many dangerous wires. and to cut down the
pole would endanger the lives of the citizens
MAJ. POWELL replied that if the Commits
sioners decided to remove the pole tie dan
gerous wires would first be taken care Of
The COmpany's Claim.
1t is understood that Pre- sident Thomas in
his Cefense will claim that the pole erected
was rot in violation of law. in that the one
it took the place of was warranted by law
and he had the right to replace the original
one whenever 1t became ur safe He will
state also, 1t is understood that when the
application for the erection of the pole was
made and refused. he made the offer to put
the wires then existing overhead under
ground. provided he was given authority to
construct conduits. The Commissioners at
the time stated that they had no authority
under the law, and in view of Judge Bing-
hams decision to permit any underground
construction, but President Thomas refer
red to a recent opinion from the attorney
for the District. in which he held that the
Commissioners had the right to grant per-
mits to the electric lighting company for
underground conduits It is understood the
trial next Monday will be replete with sur
prises
Grade CROSSINGS.
Everything points to a favorable solution
of the railroad question. Chief Engineer
Brown had another conference with Mai.
Powell this afternoon and agreed to certain
notifications in his original plan. His con-
cessions amount to further depression of
the tracks of the Pennsylvania railroad.
The authorities and the railroad officials
are not very far apart now on matters of
detail, and there Is every reason TO believe
that the recommendation of the Commits
sioners will be acceptable to the railroad
company and that within short time the
dangerous grade crossings in South Wash
ington will be but a memory
Liquor Licenses.
The excise board this afternoon passed
upon the following applications for retail
liquor licenses: Retail approved-J. ].
Murphy, $50 Pennsylvania avenue north
west; Otto Toussant, 1249 7th street north
west Daniel Driscoll. POI X street north
west; William NJ BROKER, 1920 D street
southeast; Edward Flynn. 1735 Delaware
avenue southwest. Retail rejected-John
G. Bieligk. 737 7th street northwest; F. T.
Haw. 1000 7th street southwest; Michael
Law,er. 1926 street northwest; Eugene
sweeEy. 9oe. Half street southeast; Theo-
dore Rupheft, Sf9 New Hampshire avenue
northwest; iJeh1s J. Dugan. lis AZ street
4. 81