The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-03-24
WILL NOT BE UNFAIR,
s6INCE THE l.. n. G. p. COMPANY
HAS SO MANY OVERHEAD
RIGHTS, CITY MAY NOT USE
QUESTIONABLE TACTICS.
HOME TELEPHONE CASE.
Owing to the Peculiar Situation
This Company Will Ask Longer
Time in Which to Comply With the
City's Ruling.

Friday morning the board of public
works will hold a consultation with
representatives of companies effected
by the Main street pole ordinance and
il is expected that this conference will
be an interesting affair. AS has been
stated the city will not comply with
the terms of the ordinance and will re-
move its wires from Main street and
place them overhead, probably on
North A street. The ordinance specif-
cally provides that all wires on Main
street must be placed underground. 1t
does not authorize the removal of
these wires to poles located on ether
streets The board of works, however,
takes the stand that under the state
laws the city is not compelled TO a
bide by the terms of this ordinance.
L. n. & p. Hit.
strict enforcement of the ordi-
nance would require the Richmond
Light, Heat & Power company to place
its Main street wires in its conduits
As the wires of this company, which
are high tension, could not be placed
III the conduits which the Central Tn
ion Telephone company is to place. as
this conduit system is 10 accommodate
only low tension wires, the Light,
Heat & Power company would be com
PEELED to meet the heavy expense of
Building conduit system without the
financial cooperation of any other af-
fected company. This would entail a
heavy expense.
Notwithstanding the fact that there
Is but little love lost between the city
and the Light. Heat & Power COM
pany, and the city officials would wei
come any legitimate means of Grip
pling the competitor of the municipal
plant. it is hardly probable that the
board Of public works will use the
Main street pole ordinance to accom-
pGsh this purpose. The board is Of the
opinion that this would be EMPLOYING
unfair tactics.
Some Doubt Exists.
There is doubt in some quarters
II the city. even if it so desired could
compel the Light. Heat & Power COM
pany TO place its Main street wires
underground This company has over
head rights on almost every street
and alley in the city and. it is contend
ed. that an attempt TO compel the COM
pane to comply with the pole ordi-
nance would be an infringement on
the rights granted it by the franchise
Il holds. 1t is thought that the board
of public works will at the conference
Friday, authorize the Light. Heat &
Power company to place it's Main
street wires on poles located else
where.
Another Puzzle.
Another question that will come ND
for discussion will be presented by
the Home Telephone company. Under
the ordinance that company operates
now 1t is provided that Main street
wires shall be placed in conduits in
the first alley north of Main street as
far east as Sixteenth street. Under the
Main street pole ordinance it is re-
quired that all poles on Main street
from Second to Twenty first street
shall be removed. The Home Tele-
phone company now has a line of
poles on Main street from Sixteenth
street to Twenty-frst street, The COM
pany contends that ii has acted in
good faith in complying with the or
dinance under which it now operates
and that it went TO a great expense
in complying with its terms 1t will be
pointed out TO the board that it would
be unjust to compel this company to
extend its conduit system from Six.
teenth street TO Twenty-first street al
the present time, The company will
ask that it be given a longer period
of time in which 10 remove it's Main
street poles than the time limit grant.
ed the other companies