The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-08-26
City Officials Notify the Trac-
tion People They Cannot
Place Cross Arms on Iron
poles.
>NORK is DONE IN THE
| STIFFNESS OF NIGHT.
Eompanies Are Now Working
Hard to Comply With Terms
Of the Main Street Pole
( Ordinance.

Goodness me, this will never do.
said w. P. O'Neal, member of the
sboard of public works, enroute to the
pcity building this morning. He had
sseen the cross arms on the new iron
poles of the traction company.
"Pshaw, 1 thought there must be
t1ome reason the poles on the north
side of the street are two feet higher
than those on the SOUTH" muttered
ID. B. Johnson, the second member Of
Fthe board as he came down the steps
pat his East Main street residence and
saw the cross arms.
George Staubach, president of the
board, Is an ex-policeman. He is ac-
customed to expressing what he
thinks in an emphatic manner, SO was
not in the least backward about
sblurting out, "Well, I'll be---" the
rest of the expression was lost in the
breeze blowing across the bridge.
While in the Silly night at time
when the members of the board of
works were enjoying the quiet rest
after their arduous days labors, work
men for the Terre Haute, Indianap-
lis & Eastern Traction Company
placed cross arms on the new iron
poles on Main street. The board un-
derstands it is the intention of the
company to string it's feed and pri-
vate telephone wires on these poles,
Board Acts Quickly.
| Although sleeping last night, the
board was the better refreshed this
morning and about 9 o'clock, Supt.
Gordon, of the local lines of the trac-
ttion company was awakened by no
Itification signed by the board and
reading as follows;
FTerre Haute, Indianapolis & Eastern
Traction Company
Said company Is hereby notified not
no suspend it's feed or telephone wires
lor wires of any kind or character, ex-
cept it's guy and trolley wires to its
I'm the city Of Richmond, said company
ihaving no right to use said iron poles
Efor any such purposes.
Siguej, Board of Public Works.
George Staubach. President.
Watson p. O'Neal.
B. B. Johnson.
The Right Unknown.
BY what right the traction COM
kpany has seen fit to top its poles on
kthe north side of the street with cross
farms Is unknown to the city officials
lincluding the members Of the board
1.-THE city attorney and Councilman
FDeuker, chairman of the committee on
franchises. 1t is presumed the COM
spany is laboring under the idea it has
Ebeen granted the privilege, but the
ibasis for the presumption is not un-
derstood. Nevertheless, when the
company installed its iron poles, those
on the north side of the street were
left projecting two feet farther out of
the ground than those on the south
side. Last night the cross arms were
attached. To prevent wires being
strung. the notice of the board was
sent this morning to Supt. Gordon.
Company Must Obey.
In order to have the cross arms re-
moved. action must be taken by coun-
ell. The law gives a city council the
right to exercise police power and if
the cross arms are not removed by
the time set, council can impose a
penalty.
Some time ago the traction company
communicated with the board of
works in regard to placing feed and
telephone wires along the street The
council has ordered the removal of all
poles and the placing of wires in con
duits or in alleys or parallel streets
and the company was given to under.
stand it can. not be made an exception
The company offered to permit the
city to make use of the poles for the
attachment of the arc lights at the
cross streets, but the board did not
care to enter into such an agreement
The board has a scheme whereby the
arc lamps will be suspended from
wires attached to poles set back from
diagonal corners.
Claim Only Temporary.
The traction company claims the
alarm of the board is uncalled for ant
that the present arrangement is but
temporary. All companies are making
haste to remove their wires and poles
from Main street, The time limit is
September l, and indications are thai
the street will be as free from poles
as country lane. when the time ar
rives. -