The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-06
DOWN GO POLES.
Nearly All to Be Removed From
Streets.
Telephone, Telegraph and Elec-
trio Companies Agree.
ALL USE ONE POLE.
This Will Dispose of About
Seventy-five Per Cent.
Mr. Pankey Takes Public Spirit
ed View Of Question.

seventy-five per cent of the tele-
phone telegraph. electric light. fire
department. Edison and street car
poles will be removed from Topeka
street corners during the coming year
This viii probably also mean re-
moval of IS Der cent of all the poles
IN the city.
Through the Offices of the Civic I'm
provement league of the Topeka
Young Peoples union, the Independ-
ent Telephone company. the Bell Tele-
phone company. the Edison Electric
Light company. the city Electric Light
company. the Topeka street railway
and the Topeka fire department will
fin all probability enter into an agree
ment. to Jointly use one pole wherever
possible at street corners. The West
eru Union and Postal Telegraph COM
panies are in correspondence with
their headquarters to secure consent to
join the movement. Their local rep
resentauves look faVOrably upon the
plan and remmend its adoption
Fl. B. Howard, president Of the To-
peka local union and also chairman Of
the Civic Improvement league, called
upon the managers of the various con-
Germs interested and got their opin-
ions. He told them all of the plans of
the companies Interested and the re-
suit is practically an agreement.
j. r.. Maunsell Of the Topeka Edison
company said. II Will adopt and help
an can to make it the rule in Topeka
for different companies to use one pole
wherever at all possible and praCtica-
BILE. I am in favor of putting up party
poles. I VIII gladly rent to company
or pay rental to ether lines having the
right of way. I will also gladly re-
move all poles that can be done away
with ard VIII agree to replace all un-
necessarily large and crooked poles I
will place no lines on streets where I
can get into alleys. We viii make ad-
ditional installations on our lines where We
use poles jointly, so that no damage or
interference VIII result to any other
line 1T is perfectly Practicable plan
TO combine the lines in this way If
the proper construction is used I Will
do all in my power to bring this good
result I also speak for Mr.. Myers Of
the Topeka Railway company, on this
question"
Mr. Maunsen is already cutting out
as many poles as possible. On West
Eighth street he has removed one
third of the poles between Van Buren,
street and Kansas avenue.
3. T. Pankey. owner Of the indie
pendent Telephone company, said. Il
viii let anyone use my poles rathe r
than multiply them anywhere just 90
that they are constructed TO not inter-
fere with my service. MY policy has
been the alley line and as few poles as
possible. I will put my downtown
cables underground as quickly as pos
sibIe"
Postal Telegraph company: 1--WE
will take up the matter with our head
quarters at once, but feel confident that
it can be arranged. We are using alley
lines wherever possible"
A. G.. Goodrich. superintendent Of
the city electric light plant. said: Il
will gladly join and reduce the num-
Der of poles. I have a scheme Of my
own to reduce the lamp poles 10 per
cent, by putting a sixteen foot arm on
one pole and remove the other entirely.
This Will prevent the hanging of loose
wires over the railway trolleys. You
can count on me for this pole reduction
scheme, and I will do everything pos
sible to rid our streets and corners OF
tn EN- so far as possible.
Samuel G. Howe, manager of the
Bell Telephone company, said: OF
course our rule is to have Independent
lines as far as possible. I would like to
see a lot of the street and corner poles
taken off and this should be done,
especially in prominent places 1 VIII
take UP the matter with my company
al once, and think that I can secure q
ruling making an exception to our
regular rule.
chief Wilmarth. Of the Topeka, fire
department. said. you can count on
me in the pole reduction scheme.
There are undoubtedly q large mum Der
of poles in our parhngs that could be
done away with. I VIII do all in my
power to accomplish this. The plan
must be properly systeThatized. The
idea is splendid and 1 hope to see it
carried out"
The Western Union Telegraph com
pany. "Our rule is to have independ-
eHt lines. We have taken the matter
up with our company. and feel sure
that it Will cooperate in this impor-
tant movement
Just as an instance Of what a lot of