The herald., 1897-03-20
THE FIGHT ON THE POLES
No More Are Wanted on
the Streets
I'LL WIRES MUST GO UNDER GROUND
That Is the Sentiment of the
Board of Public Works
TALKING ABOUT FRANCHISES
Representatives OF Telephone and Light.
ing Companies Talk
A Proposition to Create a Condnit System TO
Embrace All the Business Section
The Telephone Franchise Recommended to Be
Offered for Sale With Several Important
Amendments Specifications
for Asphalt Pavement
Representatives of eIephone and Light.
ing Companies Talk
A Proposition to Create a condnit System TO
Embrace All the Business Section

AT the meeting of the board of pub
lie works yesterday the morning session
was taken up almost entirely with ar
Gument on the applications for a tel
cphone and electric lighting franchise
now before the board There was some
what larger crowd on hand than usual
majority of those present being inter-
ested in one or the other ofthe two fran
| chises.
After disposing of one or two minor
matters, the franchises were taken up
and Mr. Henry O'Melveny, on behalf
| of the Home Telephone company, ad-
dressed the board at some length. He
objected TO any proposed amendment
that will force them to lay their wires
in conduits instead of stringing them
on poles. The same question arose over
the proposed electric lighting franchise.
| Both these proposed companies will be
affected by an ordinance requiring the
| laying OF their wires under ground In
conduits. Both regard such a require
ment as a discrimination against them
| in favor of the established companies.
Both assert their willingness, however,
| to lay their wires in conduits provided
| other companies whose wires are>now
strung on poles be compelled to place
! their lines underground. Mr.. o O'Melveny
strongly insisted on these points, claim
ing that all of the companies should be
put on an equality those already in ex-
| istence, as well as those which proposed
| to commence business under the fran
cLises asked for. This, he claimed, was
only right and just.
l. II. Dockweiler. representing the pc
| titioners for the electric lighting fran
| chlse, followed. He thought that the
council should map out a conduit dis
| trict, taking in all the business section,
a. d that within this district the council
: buld allow no further erection of poles
or stringing of wires. The lines suggest
ed by Mr.. Dockweier and set forth in
the draft of his franchise, with other
provisions in regard to poles and wires,
are as follows:
Commencing at the intersection of the
easterly line of Los Angeles street, in
| said Los Angeles city. and the north
erly line of Marchessault street: thence
running southerly along the easterly
line of Los Angeles street to the south
erly line of Seventh street; thence west
erly along the southerly line of Seventh
street to the westerly line of Hill street;
thence northerly along the westerly line
of Hill street to the northerly line of
First street; thence easterly along the
northerly line of First street to the
westerly line of Broadway; thence
northerly along the westerly line of
Broadway to the northerly line of Tenn
pie street; thence easterly along the
northerly line of Temple street to the
westerly line of Spring street; thence
northerly along the westerly line of
SnrinD IN tho NacfarIV line pf
Main street; thence northerly along the
westerly line of Main street to the north
erly line of Marchessault street; thence
easterly along the northerly line of Mar
chessault street to the point of COM
mcncement.
But whenever the city council of said
city shall so direct all wires to be placed
or maintained in said district of said
city shall be placed ard maintained
therein In underground conduits exclu-
sively. The above described district is
hereby designated as a conduit dis
trict." But in no event shall any poles
be erected before any exterior front
ages Of any block in said ''corduit dis
trict" where an alley bisects such block
but in such case all poles shall be erect
ed or maintained upon the inner line of
such alley. Within said conduit dis
ttict" in blocks not bisected by alleys,
not to exceed one pole shall be erected
on the north and south faces of said block
and not to exceed two poles on the east
and west faces of said blocks.
From all poles within the Conduit
district" the wires carrying current for
lighting and for power shall be carried
to the private property line through iron
conduits attached to the poles and ex-
tending down to the street or sidewalk
surface at the base of the pole, thence
in conduits to the property line.
~ 4 49, A L
the conduit district could be modified or
changed by the board or the council, If
they saw fit, and existing companies
could be given one years time in which
to put their wires underground. His
company was willing to cooperate with
the council in getting the wires under
ground and doing away with the poles.
This was not entirely agreeable to the
telephone people, but they declared that
they were as much opposed as the 9TH
ers to increasing the number of poles.
and II they were allowed to erect only
such poles as were absolutely neces-
sary for the present they would prompt
ly remove them whenever the council de-
clared them nuisance, 1t being obvious
that this agreement would require every
body else to remove poles at the same
time
The discussion continued until the
noon hour, the general opinion Of the
board being clearly against the poles
Councilman Blanchard. as we'll as
others of the councilmen present, stated
plainly that they thought the time had
come when all poles should come down.
At the afternoon session the represen-
tatives of the telephone company failed
to put in appearance. but Mr.. Dock
weller was present for short time and
further gave his views In regardt to the
conduit district and doing away with
poles in the business section of the city.
Just before the adjournment the mat
ter Of the telephone franchise was called
up and the board decided to recommend
that It be advertised. with some amend
Wents. These amendments reduce the
time In which work is to commence
from eighteen to six months. and $4,000
Is to. be expended within one year. No
poles are to be erected or overhead wires
strung in the conduit district to be laid
out by the council. The amount to be
paid to the city on every telephone each
month is rdised from to 5 cents. and