The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-06-27
ECONOMY IN POLES.

With the stringing of the wires for
the overhead traction system of the
Rapid Transit Company, there becomes
apparent what may be termed an abuse
Of privileges, for which a remedy is at
hand, and one that would appear to Of
fer the double advantages of cheapness
and desirability. 1t Is absolutely neces
sary where there is to be overhead cleo
trio system that there be set poles for
the suspension of the trolley wires.
These poles are set In pairs generally,
on the opposite side of a street, at reg
ular intervals, irrespective of the pres
ence of telephone or lighting wires.
To illustrate: On Wilder avenue
where the work of setting the poles and
stringing the trolley wires for the cleo
trio road is complete, the telephone and
| light companies have their wires strung
on independent sets of poles. These
with the necessary poles Of the railroad,
are often placed in immediate prox-
unity. In more than one instance along
| that thoroughfare there may be found
three poles within a distance of fifteen
feet. This means that the distractions,
the opportunities for Disagreement are
multiplied by three. for there appears
no really good reason why there might
not be arrangements by which the
wires of the three corporations should
be placed on the poles which support
the trolleys of the railroad.
The street railroad wires are placed
at the height of twenty-five feet, while
the poles are thirty five feet in height
above ground. This gives all the space
necessary for properly handling the
wires of either company. There has
been at all times a complaint that the
presence of the. heavy current of the
street traction companies trolley has
produced a humming or buzzing In the
telephones, which are connected by
wires runningSclose to the trolley. This
has been demonstrated in many places
in the States to be Incorrect. 1t is
a fact that the induction from the high
power alternating currents of the light
Ing companies is more often RESPONSE
Bile for this noise which disturbs the
telephone service. than the direct cur
rent of the railroads.
. The remedy for the evil of so many !
poles along the highways would appear :
to be the placing of the telephone wires
high above the tie wire of the railroad
company on the same set of poles on |
the one side of the street, and the
VI Tic IOr the I
electric lighting current above the trac-
ton wires on the opposite side of the
street. 1t would also appear to the lay
mind that such plan would be one of !
mutual benefit, for there would be fewer
poles to keep in repair. at a less total !
cost. which in this case would be divided
between the three corporations at inter
est, and that mutual agreement might
accomplish this when lines are vet to
be constructed.
The plan of making the one set of
poles carry the various wires which the
domestic economy of the city brings
through the streets has had some yindi-
cation in the States, but has not been
brought to it's highest perfection. In
smaller cities where the police and fire
systems are operated in connection
with system of alarm boxes and tele-
phones, these are usually strung on the
poles of one of the public utility cor
porations. Any reason why there should
be such number Of poles along a resi-
dence street when the business could
be handled with the one set which are
necessary IL there is to be rapid transit,
Is not apparent but how to reach the
contamination to be wished seems to be
matter for the consideration of the
various corporations.