The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-01-21
COUNCILM Won PElN THINKS
THAT 1T is THE DUTY OF THE
CITY TO PREVENT PLACING THE
WIRES UNDERGROUND.
FEARS HIGHER RATES
Thinks That There Is Possibility of
The Bell Buying Home Telephone
Company and Boosting the Rates
Higher.

For the 'steenth time the city council
had a wrestling match with the Main
street pole question Monday night and
81 can be said in all truthfulness that
It came near getting this tough old
customer flat on his back on the mat.
1t would not have taken many more
sharp punches TO have had him hang
ing over the ropes until time was
called. without a response In fact
some real progress was made toward
disposing of a question that so long as
the present generation can remember
nt least, has been a hoodoo. bugbear,
a thorn in the flesh, and about any
other old thing one might care to call
it. Whenever the counciImen have
had nothing else to occupy their time
and often when they did have. the pole
question has bObbed up like a jack-in-
the-boX, as much as TO say. Here am
l, and what are you going to do with
me- If the indications are not mis-
leading. there will be a definite settle
1nent that will mark distinct progress
on the part of the city. for it will
mean the freeing of Main street from
oil poles except those used by the
street car company and the light COM
panies and these will have to be either
steel or iron so that the unsightliness
will be reduced to a minimum.
Deuker Leads Him Out.
Monday night his majesty of the
flowing beard was brought before the
city fathers by Mr. Deuker-who else
would be expected to lead forth this
municipal hobby horse? Mr.. Deuker
believes his fellow-councilmen did
what they honestly thought was
right when they passed the previous
pole ordinance, but he is as fully con
WINGED that it was a mistake: that it is
impractical at least for two reasons
one that the wires to be removed
from Main street cannot now be salts
iactorily laid in the alleys north and
south of Main street. and second. be
cause the iron poles that are made pos
sible would not be satisfactory owing
TO the danger that would be involved ::
danger SO great that firemen and
inemen probably would refuse to work
ordinance should be more sweeping:
that all companies should be treated
alike. and for this reason he presented
an amendment to the ordinance. prac-
tically amounting to new ordinance.
In his amendment Mr.. Deuker pro
Tides that all wires, except those of
the street car and light companies, be
/ cen Second and Tweuty-first streets.
on Main, snail be removed and laid in
conduits by the first of June. lo0S All
wooden poles must be removed but the
street car company and the light com
panies are to be permitted to use iron
or steel poles for support of their
wires. The cOnduits are to be of
standard NitriCied tile and one duet in
each is to be reserved for the use of
the city fire alarm and police tclc-
pnone wires, without cost to the city.
Each telephone company is also to fur
nish the city twelve free telephones.
All surface wires attached to BUILDINGS
must be thirty feet high. Work is to
begin within sixty days from the pas
sage OF the ordinance
Statement in Defense.
Mr.. Deuker made an extended state
ment in defense of the proposed am
endment. saying that he had made a
full investigation of the subject. hav-
ing gone to many of he Main street
business men, to the members of the
fire department and TO the linemen in
an effort to get their views of the mat
ter. 1t was pointed out to Mr.. Deu-
ler that when the Home telephone
company accepted the city'S terms for
removal Of its wires from Main street
the Bell telephone company had the
same right but that il had refused ia
take advanta"e of ii because il was
not willing TO agree 10 a maximum
rate for it's service. 1t is the matter
frontiuurd cn porc t..