The sun., 1898-02-23
THE CITY REQUIRES SPACE
Electric Companies Must Allow
Wires Oh Their Poles.
J. W. AYDON OFFERS A PLAN
No Room Left IL the business
Portion Of the City for Wires
for Police or Fire
Alarm Service.

The City Council will demand space on
all electric light poles on which to place
the city's wires.
During the past few years the telegraph
telephone and electric light companies
Of this city have been called upon to
place in position hundreds of poles and
to string miles of wire in order to meet
the demands made upon them for SER
vice.
At the present time our business thor
ougllfares are occupied by them in every
portion Of the city, much to the disfg-
urcmcnt Of he streets and the danger of
he public. In many portions OF the city
from forty to sixty wires are strung over
head and the number is increasing SO rap
idly that our municipal authorities have
Ieen forced to take some action in order
to have some OF the rights of the city re-
served for itself.
For some weeks the superintendent of
police and fire alarm telegraph has been
studying ont a plan for the reservation
Of space for the >tringing Of wires for nlll
nlcipal use, as he became convinced by
observation that the demands upon the
t'ectric companies and corporations ne
ccssitated the occupancy of most of the
available space.
lie realized the fact that in Il short
occupying every available inch Of space
that could be used for that purpose, and
that the city would be compelled to rent
from these corporations space on their
poles for wires used in the service of the
municipality.
That this state OF affairs should exist
is due to the fact that whenever it be.
came necessary that street be given up
t" al electric corporation, all that was
necessary to be done was for the COM
pany seeking the right of way to get a
permit from the Committee on Streets
and Sewers and then proceed to occupy
the street. No restrictions were placed
upon these corporations whatever SO far
as reserving space for city wires was con-
cerned and, Of course, the city's rights
were utterly disregarled.
But all this will soon be changed if
Superintendent Aydon's plans are carried
out, as they materially change the course
to be pursued hereafter in getting per-
mission to erect poles, and also stringent
rules are laid down as to the manner in
which the wires, loops, etc. are to be
cared for by the owners or lessees.
Mr. AydOn's suggestions are that all
wires, poles or apparatus be under the
immediate supervision Of the Superin-
tendent Of Police and Fire Alarm TeIe-
graph, and through him indirectly
under the control OF the City Police De-
partment, who shall inspect the condi-
ton Of the poles, wires, etc, and report
every violation OF rules laid down for the
manner in which these things shall be
kept, with fine Of from five to twenty
five dollars for each and every day al
lowed to pass without the necessary re.
pairs or removals being made when
ordered.
The plans suggested by Supcrintend-
cnt Aydon call Tor the reservation Of at
least one gain on each pole hereafter
erected by any corporation, for the use
OF the city. upon which city wires can
be strung; also that each pole shall be
marked with the company's stamp.
The following communication and
draft Of an ordinance was handed to the
police commissioners Monday night for
their consideration. and it will probably
he acted upon at the next council meet.
ing: