The Portland daily press., 1900-10-23
CONDUITS AND ELECTRIC LIGHT
POLES.
0 the Editor Of the Pressi


read with interest your editorial in
the Sunday Times and repeated in the
PRESS OF this morning, in relation to
conduit issue for telephone and other
public utility companys uses. Your
position supports the order which in
trOduced last year in the Common Coun-
Gil and which passed that body almost
unanimously and was referred to the
committee on electrical appliances,
1 still maintain that the proposition
is good one; that all low tension wires.
such as telephone, telegraph, police sig
nal and fire alarm, should go into
common conduit to be used by all OF the
several companies doing business with
In our city, but as the city isIunable to
raise the money, without increasing
taxation, even to build saver on Ex-
change street, or a north side sewer, or
to build a longtime needed almshouse
and hospital for the proper care Of the
poor, not to mention a new bridge TO
bring the population of Saco, BiddefOrd,
Old Orchard and adjacent towns to the
city of Portland for reeretation, and to
our retail merchants for trade, because
Of lack of funds, how then can it con-
struct such a great work as a common
conduit under the limitations, fnanci-
ally, as indicated.
Now, then, the Dirigo Telephone COM
pany have offered to build conduits at
their own expense, subject to municipal
direction and control, with ample reser-
vation for the city's use free, and fur
ther tender that the city can take said
conduits into their own control when
ever they desire to do, on fair and reas-
enable valuation. See section "A OF the
order, which, unfortunately, the morn
ing papers have as yet not published
for the public's information.
Could a more generous, equitable,
just and honorable proposition be made
to the city. Such an one has never here
tofore been presented, but on the other
hand, public utility companies have
gotten everything they could for moth
ing, and have given nothing in return
worth mentioning.
1 believe that corporations, as well
individuals, should be honest towards
communities, and I hope that our city
fathers viii not debar our citizens from
doing business, investing their money
and giving the city the opportunity to
take over said conduits whenever they
deem it advisable or the city Is fnan-
cially abl e so to do.
You refer in your editorial to the blum
der made three years ago in regard to
electric light poles. You are probably
aware that through the foresight and
most excellent Judgment OF the Hon.
Chas. F. Libby, who drafted the original
ordinance pertaining to the control OF
electric light poles and appliances, that
the city had the right to the absolute
control Of said poles and wires and could
dictate the use Of them to any company
seeking admission to our city for the in
stallation of composition.
Only seven years ago was this wise and
far-sighted provision torn bodily, by some
force unknown then, but known now,
out of the ordinances controlling cleo
tricaI appliances. There was never any
hearing on the matter; the public evil
IDENTIFY knew not what they were being
robbed Of; the result Of which was, that
last year during the discussion In rela-
tion TO the admission OF competition In
electric lighting, the discovery was made
that the ordinances had been so changed
that the old companies had absolute
control, and could refuse the right to use
their poles by new companies; the city
having only a few years previous, as