Evening star., 1902-04-11
THE OVERHEAD WIRES
Removal Provided for in Sen
ate Bill.
REPORT SUBMITTED
COMMISSIONERS SUGGEST THAT
MEASURE BE AMENDED.
Boundaries Outlined in Section to Be
orporated-Electrical En-
gineer's Comment.

The District Commissioners today for
warded to Senator Mcmillan, chairman of
the Senate District committee. further re-
port on Senate bill 1853 ITO provide for
the removal of overhead telephone wires in
the District of Columbia, and for other pur-
pcses.''
On the 10Th of last month the Commits
sioners. in response to a request from the
House committee on the District of Column
bia for their views upon II. r. bill 1893,
ITO provide for the removal of overhead
telegraph and telephone wires in the city of
Washington. for the construction of con-
duits in the District of Columbia. and for
other purposes recommended that the re-
moval of telephone poles and overhead
wires within the fire limits of the District
be required expeditiously as possible,
and that the construction of underground
conduits to carry telephone wires be au-
thoriZed. A copy of the bill amended as
the Commissioners suggested is transmit ed
to the Senate committee. with the statement
that it represents their views on the SUBJ
iect.
Substitute Section.
The Commissioners say if the Senate
committee prefers the method outlined in
the Senate bill however they would rec
ommend that the bill be first amended by
inserting therein in lieu of the boundary of
territory which simply covers the northwest
section south of Florida avenue the fol-
lowing:
B street north from North Capitol to
1st street west, LIST street west from B
street to Maryland avenue, Maryland ave-
nue. from 1st street west to Sd street west,
Sd street west from Maryland avenue to
Missouri avenue. Missouri avenue from Sd
street west to 9th street west, 9th street
west from Missouri avenue to B street
north. street north along a prolongation
OF the line of said b street to the PotO-
mac river along said Potomac river to
Rock creek, along said Rock creek to a
point where Ontario avenue intersects the
eastern line of the Geological Park thence
along the eastern line of said park to Ken
esaw avenue. along said kenesaw avenue
10 10Th street extended, along said 18th
street extended to Park street along Park
street to 14th street, along Mount Pleasant
avenue to Sherman avenue along said Sher-
man avenue to Florida avenue. along said
Florida avenue to North Capitol street and
along North Capital street to B street
north"
\ few other amendments are suggested
so as TO make the provisions of the meas
ure practically the same as those of the
House Dill recently favOrably reported upon
Views of Electrical Engineer.
to the Senate committee a report from
Walter c. Allen, the electrical engineer.
on the Senate bill, in which he calls at
tention to some interesting points. saving:
BY the terms of the first section no
telephone wires are allowed to remain or
to be strung over any street within the
prescribed area after one year from the
passage of the act. No exception is made
OF the telephone wires of the District of
columbia nor of the United States al
though both governments now maintain a
number of such wires. If it Is intended
that these should be removed sufficient
money for that purpose should be appro-
priated. considerable portion of the Dis
trlct system in this area is already Under
ground. but many wires still remain ever
head. and ! doubt if they could be rlaced
underground within year without con-
siderable expense. This is also true Of the
second paragraph of section one. which
requires the removal of all telephone poles
on paved streets in the District of Column
bla within two years. 1t is doubtful if
those poles and the wires they carry be-
longing to the District alone could be re-
moved within that time without consider
able expense.
District Wires on Private Poles.
Approximately one-half of the District
wires throughout the District are on poles
OF the telephone company, and provision
telephone poles are to be taken down.
Moreover, the poles and wires of the Ches-
apeake and Potomac Telephone Companv
greatly exceed in number those of any
other corporation and the limits Of one
year for the prescribed areas mentioned
In paragraph one and of two years for the
area Of paved streets in the entire District
mentioned in paragraph two are insuffi-
cient for doing the work called for in the
Dill. IL time limit is to be placed upon
the work of removal. | would recommend
that the period mentioned in lines six ard
seven of page one be changed from one
year to two years.
Issuance of Permits.
Section two grants authority to the
Commissioners to issue such permits as
may be necessary to carry out the provi-
sions of this act This, by implication,
would permit the construction of addi-
tional conduits in the streets and avenues
The law as it now stands, however for
bids such construction. | am of the opin-
ion that the authority for the building of
additional conduits should be plainly ex-
pressed in the act and | would, therefore,
recommend that the following words be in
serted after the word Subscribers in line
thirteen, page two: ITO repair, enlarge ard
extend existing telephone conduits. and to
necessary in the District of Columbia
Also, strike out the word connections in
line fourteen. page two and insert in lieu
thereof the words conduit construction ="
Effect of Changes.
If the changes recommended by the Com
missioners are adopted, the bill will pro-
vide for the removal of poles and wires
only within the described in the
amendment quoted above. 1t is recon-
mended that the question of their removal
from the remaining portions of the Dis
trict be left until the completion of the
work covered by this bill. when further
legislative authority can be obtained from