Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-29
ORDINANCEFOR ~HOUSEMOVERS
Telephone, Telegraph and Electric Light
Companies Oppose 1t.
SAY IT WOULD INVADE THEIR RIGHTS
Claim that Expense of Cutting and
Mending Wires should He
Borne by Housemovers
Themselves.

The passage Of the "housemovers' +" ordi-
nance or at least that portion of it regarding
the removal of wires and poles to permit the
passage Of buildings in course Of removal
will be opposed by the corporations affected.
The Telephone, Telegraph, Motor and Elec-
trio Light companies all contend that the
passage of the ordinance as now framed
would be an unwarranted invasion OF their
rights granted by and under the authority
of the fanchises given them by the city to
maintain pole lines necessary to conduct and
operate their business.
All four companies are a unit that they
should not be called upon to bear the ex-
pense of cutting and removing their wires
to accommodate the HORSEPOWER. This ex-
pense, they all claim, should be borne by the
HORSEPOWER or the party owning the house
being moved. AS to the time of day at which
the wires should be moved or cut to permit
Of the passage of houses being moved the
Motor and Electric Light companies differ.
Manager Dimmock of the Motor company
contends that his company cannot be com
PEELED to cut it's wires during the time that
dts trains are in operation, as to do so would
seriously inconvenience the public, whose
interests would thereby suffer. The cutting
of the company's wires would necessitate
and result in the shutting off Of the power
and cause a serious delay In the car service.
AS a further and stronger reason Manager
Dimmock calls attention to the fact that his
company is engaged in the carrying OF the
United States mails and that the munich
pality has no power to interfere with that
/ service. Manager Dimmock is perfectly will
ing that when necessary to allow the passage
Of a house being moved the wires of his
! company shall be cut or removed, providing
AZ is done at night when the cars are not
! running and providing further that the ex-
pense is borne BY the party moving or own
ing the house.
Manager Nichols of the Electric Light
company holds that his company is under
contract with the city to furnish lights Tor
the convenience and protection OF the pubic
and to aid the police Of the city in protect
ing it's citizens and their property. He holds
that the city should not require the company
to cut any of the lines supplying lights dur
ing the hours when such service is needed
for the reason that the lighting OF the city
| during the hours Of the night is of more
Importance to the public generally than Is
| the possible inconvenience Of the individual
| passenger of the street car company. Fur
Their, Mr.. Nichols says the frequent cutting
duu Olu VI thS o ''NS'
means a source of permanent expense from
| the fact that the joins offer an increased re-
s~istance to the current and the greater num-
Der of joins in a line the greater the cost
of maintaining the lights on that circuit.
Manager Nicoll of the Western Union Tele-
graph company looks upon the proposed or
dinance as a very serious matter and that
the city should go slow in passing any meas
ure that will affect the rights Of any person
or corporation. The cutting of its wires is
a serious matter for a telegraph company,
as it interrupts the business practically Of
the whole country. The mere expense of cut
ting the wires or temporarily removing them
is a small matter when compared to the
inconvenience and loss that may result to
the company. Like the other local managers
of the corporations affected by the proposed
ordinance he is not disposed to embarrass
or hinder the housemovers in the prosecution
Of their business. He contends, however,
that as the cutting of the wires is for the
benefit of the HORSEPOWER solely all expense
connected with the same should be borne by
the party benefited.
Manager Atkins of the telephone company
Is not worrying very much about the matter,
as he feels that the passage Of such an ordi-
nance would not affect the rights of his
company. The ordinance dated October s,
1888, granting a franchise to the Nebraska
Telephone company contains the following
clause:
whenever 1t shall be necessary for any
authorized person to move along or across
said streets or alleys any vehicle or struc-
ture of such height or size as to interfere
with any poles or wires so erected. the
company using and operating such wires
shall upon twenty-four hours notice in writ
ing, served upon the agent or manager by
such person so authorized, and payment Of
the actual cost thereof. temporarily remove
such poles and wires from such places as
must necessarily be crossed by such vehicle
or structure"
He does not believe that the city can abro-
gate this right of the company to demand
payment of the expense Of cutting or remov-
Ing its wires by passing another ordinance
making 1t obligatory on the company to do
the work at its own expense.