The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1904-05-24
THE UNDERGROUND
WIRE ORDINANCE
1t is Referred to a Committee
for Report.
Is Alleged to Be Radical and Uncon-
stitutionsl-The Wharfboat
Bond.
UNIFORMITY OF SIDE WALKS.

| inot Dlkut IN tue DOhTu Vi AiuciHch
requiring all telephone wires placed
under ground has been referred to
committee, but it is claimed by several
attorneys 1t will never amount to any
thing even If it should be placed.
The ordinance was handed to Alder
man Singleton to introduce, and so far
as known is not favored by any Of the
members of the legislative boards.
II requires all telephone wires not
already under ground to be placed
underground, irrespective of locality.
Under it one wire to Worten's Addi-
ton, Littleville, or Rowlandtown
would have to be under ground to the
city limits just the same as those on
Broadway. 1t is clsimed, however,
that the city could not pass such an
ordinance legally, rs it must require,
when 1t requires one kind of wires
underground, all the wires under
ground. II the telephone companies
have to place their wires under ground
it is argued, so must the telegraph,
electric light and other companies.
The ordinance stipulates that no
wires. after its passage, shall be
strung on poles, and that within
thirty days all wires and cables
already on poles must be placed
underground according to plans and
specifications furnished by the city,
and at the expense of the companies.
The cost would be epormous, as it
would take in the entib city.
The ordinance goes further, how
ever, and stipulates that the wires
cannot be placed under ground except
by those telephone companies having
franchise rights in Paduoah. If the
ordinance were passed and sustained
by the courts, the East Tennessee Com
pany could neither keep its wires on
poles or place them underground. as
10 operates under perpetual legisla-
tive grant. and not franchise.
1t is probable that the ordinance
will never be passed, and If it is pass
ed il will result in litigation. Tele-
phone companies, it is said, claim
that the city cannot require them to
place their wires underground unless
it requires every other public utility
using wires to do likewise. 1t would
be class legislation it is said and con-
trsry to law.
There Is complaint about the wharf
in regard to the ordinance ordered
drawn requiring wharfboat companies
to give . s5. 900 bond to remove any
wreck or hulk OF wharfboat which
might burn or sink at the landing. 1t
is claimed that the intent is malicious,
and that no wharfboat anywhere in
the country is required to execute
such bond, aud there is no more
sense in it than there would be in |
requiring every steamboat that lands
here to do likewise. A lively fight |
will probably develop when the ordi-
nance is introduced.
The plea of President Noble, of the |
board of public works, for uniform
sidewalks, meets with the approval of
good citizens along the streets being
paved, who do not want to see brick |
and granitoid sidewalks mixed up to-
gether ON our principal thoroughfs res.
The Sun several times called attention
to the illegslity of the ordinance, in
addition to the imprudence and injus
tice of it. and President Noble last
night stated that he had legal opinions
that the ordinance as it now stands is
illegal and no estimates can be col
lected by the contractor under it, II
property owners make fight. The
matter has been referred, with pros
poets of an amendment covering the
ground desired by the board Of public
xyorka