Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-03-19
ELECTRIC SPARKS
Fly at the City Governments
Special Meeting.
Warm Controversy over Those Much
Talked-About Electric Poles.
Much 0ratory and Some Feeling Shown and
Then Matter Is Adjusted.

The city government rooms were the
scene, Saturday night, Of an exciting
session of the mayor and board of al
dermen over the VeXed question of
electric poles and wires. There was
sensational controversy between the
representatives of the two companies,
charges of misstatement We're made,
there was a hot legal battle over the
| right Of the Union Gas and Electric
Co. to erect poles at all under IT'S
present locations, and the fight lasted
till 4 late hour. No one doubts now
that it is to be war to the knife De
tween the two companies.
| The session was precipitated by the
action Of the mayor ana aldermen, Fiji
day night. in ordering the onion Gas
| and Electric Co to cease from erecting
poles in cOntraVentiun of the statutory
| provisions. When the officers Of the
| company read the report Of the actl"n
| of the mayor and aldermen in the
| Jounai, Saturday morning, they has
| lilly got together for conference. ana
! meeting OF the executive board of the
/ company, Messrs. Frank Chase, Ma
\ thani-l Meuder ANA Charles #. John-
/ son. was held before breakfast at the
! residence Of Mr.. johnson. The prcSl-
/ dent The officers of the company at
once decided to take measures 70 put
I themselves right before the law. ana
! accordingly pctitioncd Mayor Phil
/ brook to call another special session Of
the board If aldermen, that ,vening
I for the purpose Of determining pre-
/ ciseIy what the company could DO in
the line Of erecting poles. The meeting
was accordingly held, All th- aldermen
being present. except Alderman Rowe.
Mayor Philbrook opened the ball by
reminding the board IF thc recommend
dations made ~ him il his inaugural,
! in which the mayor deplorcd the uu
sance Of multiplication Of electric
/ wires. and recommended that some
1 systematic method be adopted for reg
uIating the placing Of wires ana poles
so hat the nuisance might be- reduced
IL a minimum. He also advcrted To
! the recommendation made by him at
the same time. that the erection Of
poles and wires should be placed updrr
the supervision Of some competent per
son. or persons, for the purpose Of pre-
venting dangerous proximity between
: " Tres. anu 81 lt'lAt 4Il- a iA4 'tN l''-7
sibl- the Disagreement III the streets.
ana damage To private property. In
this connection the mayor made the
interesting declaration. that IF All the
electric light. telephone ana telegraph
poles in the city. with the exception
of the few owned by the city itself.
not one had been legally erected.
Hon. Charles +. Johnson, president
Of the Union Gas 4 Electric co, ana
counsel for the same. then addressed
| The board. He defended the company
against the crnsure passed upon it at
the previous meeting of the board, ana
presented explanation on behalf of the
company for the alleged illegal action
Of his clients in erecting poles without
leave from the mayor ana aldermen.
The company has been blamed. -
! said Mr. Johnson, for erecting poles
ana stringing wires on the Oakland
road from cool street to the Oakland
line without the consent Of the munich
pal officers. Whatever blame there
may be for that. it attaches to me per
sonally ana t to the company. We
| we're going t. apply to this board FIR
! leave To set poles on that road. But
| We were compelled To proceed in haste
To erect those poles in order To supply
| the village Of Oakland with lights. 1t
| did not seem that there was any harm
! in going ahead, as it was only coun-
| try road. and So we went ahead. as |
| explained to this board al the time. in
! tending to apply for permit in due
time ana make the matter regular.
| Then | forgot to make the application
for a permit in session for due notice,
| as required by the statute to be given
before the meeting at which ii was to
| have been taken up, and thus the mat
| ter went over. The only blame at
taches to me personally for forgetting.
| Now as to the poles on Temple
| street. we We're obliged to erect poles
| on that street to gain access to the Head
| Of the Falls, where We have a con
| tract for a term of years To supply Mr..
| Sampson with the power to run his
| wooden mill. We are now furnishing
| Mr. Sampson with his current over
wires stretched on the poles of the old
| company, and we have been notified t.
take our wires down from those poles
| by April ). 1t is obvious that we must
get our wires upon our own poles and
! not allow that wooden mill to shut
| down for a lack Of power. 50 | would
| ask your honorable board to appoint a
| committee with power to prescribe To-
| cations for our poles in order to enable
| US to send our current to the Head Of
| the Falls. and | would also ask that
| the committee have power to direct the
| relocation Of existing poles and wires
| in cases where that may seem to them
| suitable"
Some little interchange of views then
ensued between the mayor and Mr..
Johnson as to the form in which the