The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-12-03
POLE ORDINANCE WAS
UP FOR DISCUSSION
The City Council Does Much
Talking But Takes Lit
tie Action.
DECIDED POLES MUST GO.
MAIN STREET WILL BE CHANGED
FROM ITS FOREST LIKE AP-
PEARANCE-STuD AND DEu-
kER HAVE SPIRITED CLASH.

AT council meeting last evening
thre was a long discussion on the
Main street pole ordinance There
was more talk than action. Council
man Deuker started the discussion by
stating that it was his understanding
that the pole ordinance was now in
force. He wanted to know if such was
the case, why the ordinance was not
being enforced and why the city. which
was effected by the ordinance through
the municipal plant, had made no eff
fort to comply with it's terms. Con
trary to a statement made Monday by
President Merrill of the board of pub
lie works, City Attorney Study did not
submit a communication on this ques-
ton. When questioned as to whether
he thought the ordinance was legal Mr.
Study stated that he thought it was,
inasmuch as he had drawn it up by or
der OF the council.
Mr.. Study stated that he also was Of
the opinion that the ordinance should
be enforced A discussion then arose
should be given the city and effected
companies TO remove their poles from
Main street or whether the ordinance
should at once be enforced The ma
jority of the councilmen favored the
immediate enforcement of the ordi
nance.
Mr.. Study stated that while he was
of the opinion the pole ordinance was
effective and fair he believed that in
the event an effort was made to enforce
it, complications would arise owing tC
the fact that on June IS, 1906. the
council passed an ordinance compelling
telephone companies to either place
their wires underground or on poles
removed from Main street. In this or.
dinance minimum and maximum rates
were established. Mr.. Study stated
that this ordinance Disseminated
against the Central Union company.
and because council had attempted tc
usurp the authority of the board OF
public works and establish rates in this
ordinance he did not think it was
worth d snap of his fingers Mr.
Study stated that he saw no reason
why the city. the street car company
and the Light, Heat N Power company
could not get together and, in compli
ance with the pole ordinance. erect a
joint line of iron poles on Main street
He stated that the Light, Heat & Pow
er company was willing to enter into
such an arrangement with the city and
that the street car company could be
forced into it in the event such q
course was necessary.
Councilman McMahan took d rap al
the board because the city had made
no effort 10 comply with the pole ordi
nance. Mr.. Study explained that the
city had taken no action because ths
city did not own any poles on Main
street. This statement was disputed
by Mr.. Deuker who said that when the
pole ordinance, when it was passed, de
yeloped the fact that it would cost the
city in the neighborhood of $500 tc
remove its poles from Main street
After a consultation with Mr. Merrill
Mr.. Study stated that he had been mis-
informed-that there were a few mu
nicipal poles on Main street between
Third and Fourth streets Mr.. Deu
ker and Mr.. Study were at swords
points throughout the discussion. Mr.
Deuker stated that he thought the city