The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-12-04
MERRILL ADMITS
He IS ALL At SEA
Light, Heat and Power Com
pany Will Not Consent
To Iron Poles.
SAY THEY ARE DANGEROUS.
PHONE COMPANY AND STREET
CAR COMPANY AWAITEo-soTH
AT LoGGERHEADs WITH CITY.

The confusion of wires stretched
overhead on Main street. is nothing III
comparison with the confusion that
tie Main street pole ordinance has
caused. The city officials seem to be
literally at sea on the question. Presi-
that before the city ta.,es any steps
to comply with the ordinance, it will be
ascertained whether or not the high
tension wires of the municipal plant
can be placed with safety on iron
poles.
What will be done If it is found
that it will be dangerous to place the
municipal light plant wires on iron
poles?' Mr.. Merrill was asked.
With a laugh he replied that he did
not know, but he added that he con-
strued the ordinance to read that the
city had a right to maintain a line of
wood poles on Main street.
Mr.. Study said in council Monday
night. that all the poles the city owned
on Main street were located between
Third and Fourth streets. IL iron
poles are not feasible would the city
construct on Main street a line of wood
the board president.
Mr. Merrill then stated that the city
owned line of poles on Main street.
from Second street to Sixteenth street,
except between Third and Fourth
streets. where the city used the Central
Union Telephone poles. This is
fact which council was not acquainted
with at the meeting Monday night.
When asked If the Light, Heat g.
Power company ha dagreed to con-
struct Jointly with the city. a line Of
iron poles on Main street, Mr.. Merrill
replied that this company had entered
into no such agreement with the city.
E. E. Witherby, of the Light, Heat and
Power company. has frankly informed
the board that he thinks It would be
dangerous to place high tension wires
on iron poles. and that his company
will not consent to do so.
Attorney Wilfred Jessup. who repre-
sents the Light, Heat & Power compa-
ny, says that this company has Joint
pole contract with the city and under
the terms of this contract, the Light
Heat and Power company cannot be
compelled to comply with the terms OF
the pole ordinance.
The Home Telephone company has
no poles to remove rrom Main street
Before the installation of the automat-
ic system, the Home Telephone COM
pany controlled Jointly with the Light,
Heat and Power company. a line of
poles on Main street. Just recently
the Home people stripped their wires
from these poles and, it is understood
they now revert, by contract. to the
Light, Heat & Power company
The Central Union Telephone compa-
ny, which uses more secrecy than any
other corporation in the country,
maintains sphinx-like silence in re-
CARDS to the action it will take on the
pole ordinance. IL is the general i'm
preston that this company will ignore
the ordinance, which action. in case
the city attempts to enforce 1t. will no
doubt result in the city becoming in
volved in a law suit. City officials
are also in tn edark as to the action
the street car company will take As
is we'll known. this company and the
city are at swords points. Everything
considered, it is thought that the out
growth of the almost hopeless Main
street pole muddle will be litigation by
the wholesale.