The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-01-30

public lighting Two OF the ducts being
laid by this company are for the use OF the
District, that being a condition in the con
tract. They are to be used as occasion
may require, for telegraph, telephone,
fire alarm or other service, as the District
may elect.
For tile extensive use Of the streets for
the placing OF these several systems Of sub
ways the District gets no direct eompenSa-
ton whatever. The subject was referred
to tie District auditor by the Commission
ers, IN obedience to the demand Of the Sen
ate for information, and lis Endorsement
was: Il know Of no rent or compensation
ever having been received by the govern
ment on this account
Tie permit granted to the Potomac Com
pany, moreover, is the only one in which
ducts were expressly reserved for District
use, and, aside from tie tender voluntarily
made to tile District OF one duct in any part
OF its system, free OF cost, there does not
appear to have been any offer Of even con-
structive compensation.
Upon the general proposition for municipal
ownership OF subways, the Commission RS
agree with the views expressed by the elc-
trical commission created in 1890, which
made is report direct to tile President prior
to December /, 1891. The Commissioners
expressed tile belief that all conduits should
be Ownedby the city, and recommended that
all subways to be thereafter provided for
should be constructed and maintained by the
District government, under tie direct su-
peryision Of the bureau.
IL was also recommended that as soon as
practicable the government should acquire
the ownership OF those already constructed.
and that a reasonable rental should be
charged for the use Of the ducts by fran
chised corporations or individuals. In the
judgment OF the Commissioners, an annual
charge of cents per foot per duct wOald
be far.
1t is estimated that IL Will require a
little over 500 miles of subways to sup
ply the city. The stated cost OF laying
this subway was 81, 143 per mile. but the
experience OF the Potomac Electric Power
Company, in laying its conduits eastward
from Georgetown, is that il involves an
average expense OF about $40, 600 per mile
and at that rate it would require an i n
vcstment of 100000 to complete the
system. The revenue which it is thought
could be derived from renting the ducts
is at the rate OF cents per foot annually.
AS each foot of subway for the full three
miles would contain from four TO sixteen
ducts. the receipts from the rents would
be Large, and more than pay a liberal in
terest on the investment.
The reports did not go into the subject
of overhead wires now existing, and which
the Commissioners say should be under
ground, according to the terms of the
present law, but the fact was brought
out that the United States Electric Light
ing Company has, exclusive of those in
public alleys, sixty-six miles of overhead
cons tructiOn. This, the Commissioners
contend, is sixteen miles more than the
company maintained in 1883, when the
law was enacted forbidding the erection
of additional overhead wires
If these and the wires of the Western
Union Telegraph Company, OF the tele-
phone company, and other existing en-
terprises fould all be put underground,
and if there should be added 70 this num-
Der the wires of other companies which
may hereafter be permitted TO enter the
territory, and all be required to contribute
an annual rent TO the treasury, it is esti-
ma ted that the profit of a municipal
subway would be clearly demonstrated in
the increase in the revenues.