The St. Louis Republic., 1900-10-12
Lighting Committee Of Improve
ments Board at Work on
Report on the Subject.
MEMBERS iNDORSE THE PLAN.
President McAIath Urges That Sub
way Include All Territory
Where Charged Wires
Are Numerous.

The Lighting Committee OF the Board OF
Pubric improvements is engrcssed in the
subject Of subway extension. and 1t seems
almost a certainty that report will soon
be submitted. urging The adoption Of meas
ures u, cause an extension OF the present
underground lirats as far north, south ana
west as seems necessary for public safety
Members OF IN. board express themselves
ardently IN favor Of extension. and can
vass OF the officials indicates that they are
practically unit on the matter.
The district in which wires, tubes ana
cables are underground is bounded by the
Mississippi River. Wash street, Spruce
street and Twenty-second street, as defined
in ordinance No. 1850. which became ef-
fective on December 81, 1898 The Western
Union Telegraph Company and the Postal
Telegraph-Cable Company are the only cor
porations which have not put their wires
under the surface OF the streets, but these
concerns were prevented from complyins
with the ordinance az the result OF an In
depreciation OF the law by former CITY
Counselor Marshall IN a controversy with
the Western Union attorneys.
There seems TO be no difference OF opin-
ION In the Board Of Public improvements
as to the necessity of extending the con-
fines of the district" said President Mo
We will have to solve will be the determine
tion Of the new limits We practically stand
agreed on every proposition but that
believe every member of the board desires
10 have the limits extended. and we will
have no difficulty IN fixing the boundaries
after We get to work earnestly.
The Lighting Committee consists Of Pres-
iient McMath. Sewer Commissioner Her
mann and Water Commissioner Flad.
Mr.. NcMath thinks the district should
be enlarged SO as to include the entire cleo
tric-lishting district, which IS described a.
follows: The river. Bremen avenue, Ninth
street, Tyler street, Thirteenth street. Caes
avenue, Jefferson avenue. Chouteau avenue.
Seventh street Arsenal street and the river.
The limits, he thinks. should reach az far
north and south on Broadway as there are
q large number of charged wires The west
ern boundaries. he suggests, might even be
farther out than Jefferson avenue.
The Western Union Telegraph Company.
although It was denied permission to put
Its wires IN conduits. made a fierce fight
to gain the privilege. The Postal Telegraph
Cable Company made application, but did
rot toin in the combat Both were excluded
after a heated battle between the Western
Union attorneys and former City Counselor
Marshall, but. although defeated by
technicai.ty. the Western Union has con-
tiuued to maintain from year to year ths
$4,000 bond which II then gave the city
when IT applied for Its permit The Bell and
Kinloch Telephone companies have not only
gone into the cenduits in the subway dis
trict, but also have occasionally petitioned
the Board of Public improvements for per
nlits to put wires underground In localities
lying beyond the designated boundary lines.
Supervisor of Lighting O'Reiliy yesterday
eaid that he thinks the corporations were
not only privileged to put their wires un-
derground but that the city even now could
compel them 10 do so. regardless OF the
fact that franchises are obtained from the
State and not from tho city