The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-15

! y Alderman Rounds, who had showed
signs of drowsiness during Mr.. Jordan
debate, but had pricked up his ears when
the alderman from ward seven took part
In the discussion, said he happened to
know something about low electric light
wires. The Fourth of July Madi Gras
floats were seventeen feet high, and he re-
membered that it was necessarily to
'histe' the wires in several places to
allow the procession to pass.
Lawyer Cobb, at this point desired to
make a statement.
Alderman Kehoe wanted to know
whether it was argument or testimony
Mr.. Cobb had to offer. The hearing had
already consumed considerable time, and
the arguments had better come in regular
order at the close.
Mr.. Cobb only wished to ask that the
company remove the poles it had erected
since September, and place the remon-
strants and the street in! statu quo.
"Give us the old basis, and we will be
satisfied" he concluded
Alderman Leighton said he didn't
blame the remonstrants for wanting to
get slap at the electric light company,
but he would like to ask whether their
remonstranoe was based on q desire to
get even with the company or whether
they really expected better lighting SER
vice.
Mr.. Cobb made answer, that it was not
q matter of sentiment. The remonstrants
were DESTROYS of return to the former
system of lighting their street.
1t being suggested by Mr.. Hale that the
city electrician be questioned by the
} board, Mr.. Cummings came forward and
ran the gauntlet.
To Alderman Kehoe's question whether
long or short poles were better, the cleo
trician replied that he had suggested the
} shorter poles in Danforth street, as he
considered them safer. sYou will all see
it, some day whe.. we have big ice
) Storm he explained.
J Alderman Moore-"You consider this
} the most practical way of lighting Dan.
} forth street, do your"
J Mr.. Cumming thought SO. A forty
foot pole would come right in the way of
the trees
Mr.. Jordan" There are seventy foot
poles in some parts of the city, are there
uot?''
Mr.. Cummings-"Yes quite a mum Der
} of them.
Mr.. Jordan-"As a matter of fact was
not the uss of the shorter poles question
of economy with the company"
Mr.. Cummings-"I never heard them
say so.'
matter of taste, whether they use tall or
short poles?'
i Mr.. Cummings consider it q matter
of business. The short poles are safer. :"
In response to a query from Manager
Raymond, Electrician Cummings said he
did not see how it would be possible to
light Danforth street without using poles
there.
Alderman Ilsley suggested that no ad-
vantage would be gained by running the
poles along side streets 1t would be just
as Objectionable to people of other streets
to have poles run in front of their
premises as to the residents of Danforth
street.
Mr.. Lyman Nelson, being asked for his
opinion on the matter, expressed the hope
that line of wires would BIZ maintained
so as to give Danforth street q safe, con-
tinual and satisfactory electric circuit 1t
was personal desire with him, for his
residence is lighted only by electricity.
J He had.n objection to location of the
poles as shown on the plan.
Mr.. Rand made brief argument, in
which he declared that the Consolidated
Electric Light company had endeayored
to carry it's point by false pretenoes. Mis-
statements had been made. In conclusion,
he said: If the electric light company
isssto go on planting poles wherever and
whenever it pleases, without consulting
the wishes OF citizens, this city, instead
of being Portland, the Forest City, will
need to have the 'rt' dropped from its
name, and it henceforth be known as
Poland, or the land of poles.
Mr.. Hale argued briefly ard then offered
an order, embodying the system of poles
shown in the plan. 1t specified that q few
of the poles, near Bracket street, should
be forty feet, and all the others twenty
feet above the ground.
Mr.. Rand suggested that if the order
was to be passed the toard had better in
corporate in it some provision for the re-
moval of the cable, and Mr.. Elias Thomas
added: 81 would also suggest that you
incorporate demand for removal of the
old poles; the company has told us those
old poles are to be removed, but we have