The Savannah morning news., 1904-08-27
UNDER GROUND OR
ENTER AGREEMENT
TELEGRAPH COMPANIES
MUST EITHER USE JOINT POLES OR
PUT WIRES UNDER GROUND.

Streets and Lanes Committee Reach
ed That Decision Yesterday and
Both Western Union md PostaI
Are to Be Notified They Must Get
Together on Pole Question or Put
Wires Under decentralization Re-
sun OF EI-H. -.vScn,-. ----e,>
When Wires Were Cut.
At meeting of the Streets and
Lanes Committee of Council yesterday
at noon. it was decided to force the
two rival telegraph companies here to
use the same poles south of Liberty
street, where necessary to keep from
putting in an additional line of poles,
or else to make both companies put
all wires in that territory under
ground.
The decision of the committee is the
outcome of an investigation, which has
been in progress since the recent SEN
sational clash between the two COM
panies, when the Western Union cut
down a number of wires of the Postal.
that had been placed on Western Union
poles.
Both of the telegraph companies will
be informed that they must get to-
gether and enter some agreement,
whereby the multiplication of poles in
the territory south of Liberty street
will be obviated. Under existing ordi-
nances of the city, there is no author
ity whereby the aldermen may re-
nIIiro 70 oil
to use its poles, but both will be put
on notice that unless this is done an
ordinance will be framed requiring
both of them to put their Wires under
ground.
Result of the Fight.
This decision by the Streets and
Lanes Committee is the direct result
of the fight that was waged by the
two companies over the business of the
De Soto Hotel. This fight came off
some time ago, and attracted a great
deal of attention. Some of the alder
men, the chairman of the Streets and
Lanes Committee among them, imme-
diately began an investigation and
study of the situation.
The Western Union had an Office in
the De Soto for years, while the Postal
had been unable to get in. Several
months ago they secured an office there
and opened it. The Western Union
discovered that the wires of the Postal
were strung along Western Union poles
on Drayton street.
After comforting with the general Of
ficers of the company, the Western I'm
ion officials here had all Postal wires
cut off Western Union poles The Pos
tai people claimed at the time that
there were a number of Western I'm
ion wires on Postal poles. The Postal
applied to the city for permission to
also erect line of poles to the De
Soto.
Position of City officials.
The city officials were not interested
in the fight between the two companies,
except so far as the streets were con-
cerned The officials opposed allowing
the streets married by a further addi-
ton of poles. While the matter was
being debated by the city, the Postal
secured an entrance to the hotel over
telephone route. Both companies
now enter the hotel, and there is no
ether fight on for any special building,
so far as is known.
The city officials don't care anything
about the fight between the two COM
panies, but they are interested in keep
ing the streets free from poles, or as
nearly free as possible.
There are entirely too many poles
now in the business section of the city
say the officials, especially the MEM
bers of the Streets and Lanes Com
mittee, who have studied the subject.
II is to be put squarely up to the two
companies that they must either reach
some agreement whereby they will use
poles jointly. or else put all wires I'M
foreground. So far as the Streets and
Lanes Committee is concerned the mat
ter is practically settled. though rep
resentatives of the companies may APP
pear before that body to argue the
question.