The herald., 1898-04-06
THEY WANT EXCEPTIONS
AERIAL TELEGRAPH AND MES
SENGER WIRES ASKED FOR
Mr.. NICKEL GETS RlLEo
Talks Plainly About Intentions Of
the Council-Police Commission
ers-City Hall Notes

Before the special council committee
on extension of time to the electric com
panies for the completion of the work Of
putting their wires underground, repre-
sentatiyes of the Western Union ant
Postal Telegraph companies and the Cali
fornia District Messenger company yes
terday afternoon appeared to explain why
their corporations had taken no action to-
ward complying with the ordinance, as had
been supposed, and what they proposed te
do now that ninety-day extension Of
time had been granted.
Superintendent Frank Jaynes OF the
Western Union appeared for that corpora
ton and the Los Angeles District Messen-
ger company, which is really an adjunct OF
the telegraph company. He prefaced his
remarks by stating that his company, the
Western Union, had made preparations for
putting in a conduit. Their wires go UNI
derground at Temple and New High street,
the conduit being laid thence to Spring
down Spring to Third street, with branch
es to the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe
main Offices. From Second and Spring
streets the conduit will run due east 10
Los Angeles street. Within a couple of
days work will be begun on the manholes
d. hoped that the conduit would be laid. al
though connections could hardly be COM
pleted in that time, possibly barely within
the ninety-day limit.
In response to a direct question as to the
reason his company had not gone to work
sooner, Mr.. Jaynes calmly replied that up
to within month or two past it had been
generally understood that all the big cleo
TIT. mt or
ing to fight the ordinance. and the tele-
graph companies had resolved to lay back
and await the outcome.
Then" inquired Councilman Mathuss,
'if the other companies did not put their
wires underground you were not going
to?"
No" responded Mr.. Jaynes. eve were
not going to go under until the rest did.
Now they have decided to comply with
the ordinance, and We will not be back
ward in following suit"
WhatMr Jaynes did want, however, was
shown when he made a plea for certain
wires which, he claimed. should be al
lowed to run over housetops. This includ-
ed some telegraph wires and those of the
district messenger company.
There is no city in the United States'
said Mr.. Jaynes, (which compels such
wires to go underground, for it is practi-
caly impossible when looked at from a
financial standpoint
He referred to wires that would radiate
from the central Office TO newspaper Of
fees, special wires into convention halls
ETC., and also the wires by which some
eighty or more electric clocks are regulat-
ed automatically each day throughout the
business section. The wires for such pur-
poses, together with those of the district
service, he thought, should be made into
cables and carried over the housetops
down each block, and the side connections
could thus be made and the wires not ap-
pear except at points where streets were
crossed.
If such an amendment were not made
the conduit provision would virtually drive
the messenger companies out of business
or else create monopoly, for, if one COM
pany ever laid conduits, no other could ever
hope to come in and compete successfully
against it. The telegraph companies would
have to transact all business at main Of
fees, and branches at hotels and other
public places must be discontinued, be-
cause the scattering connections would not
justify the expense of placing the wires
underground Mr.. Jaynes was In favor of
having the city electrician prescribe regu-
lationS for the maintenance of such house,
top wires, and that all work be subjected to
his supervision and inspection.
When he had finished Mr.. Jaynes had evil
IDENTIFY made favorable impression upon
the committee, which, however, was nearly
undone by an unfortunate remark by Mr.
Storrs of the Postal, who followed with a
plea for an exception in favor of his COM
pany. Mr.. Storrs had talked for some
minutes, when, in response to some obiec-
ton made to one of his suggestions by Mr.
Nickel, he remarked that he did not know
that the council really had the legal right
to make any of the companies put its wires
underground-that an exception had been
made in favor of street railroad trolley
wires, and his company would see to it that
1t received its just dues.
This reused the councilman from the
First ward to fever, heat, and, jumping
TO his feet, he proceeded to lay down the
law to the Postal man in language plain and
unvarnished. He informed him that the
council had passed the ordinance compell-
ing the placing of wires underground over
year ago; that twelve months had been
given the companies to make the change.
that some had availed themselves of the
time and had gone to work. while others
had shown no disposition, evidently never
giving thought to anything save a scheme
for evasion of the ordinance. An exrension
of time had been granted the dilator com
panies, along with those who were maxi
ing every effort to comply with she ordi-
nance, but so long as he had vote and
any influence with the council no foolish
ness would be shown in the actions of that
body toward companies which detied il and
tried to use a bubble as a club TO intimi.
date it.
There is no known practical scheme for
Inc propulsion of cars by electricity but
by the trolley method, and the street rail-
roads must run for the accommodation of
the publlc, but when telegraph COMPANY
attempted to take advantage of a legal
Quloble and claim that its wires had as
much right aboveground as had a trolley
wire, he proposed to see to it that ordi-
nances be passed and enforced which will
put them underground speedily and effeo-
lively. He had heard that such an areu.
ment was to be advanced by the compan-
les and proposed to see that it did not work
If he could help it.
During MIR. Nickells remarks Mr. Storrs
mad sat silent, but he FASTENED to ASSUME
the committee that his company did NOT
propose to defy the council, but simnI,,
wished few exceptions made as to their
poles on certain streets, so as to cause as
little expense as possible. Their wires
come into the conduit district at Hill and
First streets. He desired that the noles