The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-04-27
Corporations Using Wires
Say They Are Heavy Los
ers by Damage Done to
Their Services.
CITY MAY PUT BAN
ON MOVING HOUSES
"a Restrictive Amendment to
2 City Ordinance Will Be
Prepared and Given to the
City Council.

Limitations on house moving, which
will practically mean 1t will be cheap
or TO tear down old houses rather than
move them. were recommended at the
meeting of the board OF works this
morning by Mayor Zimmerman City
Attorney Gardner was ordered to draft
an amendment to the house moving or
dinance II the lew building code or
dinance, presented to council at its
last meeting. does not contain such
provision. 1t will probably amend the
present bill an follows:
First: In applying for permit to
move q house. the mover must file
with the controller the route over
which the building Is to be taken. This
route will be Investigated by the board
Of works. and 10 subject to change by
that body.
Second: No house shall be moved
which will disturb any telephone. tele-
graph, electric light, or power. or fire
department wires. No house shall be
moved that 10 more than % feet high.
this being the regulation distance Of
wires from the street.
Appear Before 0oard.
The board decided to take this ac-
tion after p. J. Freeman and William
II. Bailey, representing the Richmond
Home Telephone company. told the
board OF the great damage done to-
wires when houses are moved. N. II.
Johnoou, supegintsndent Of thesAssui-
cipal Lishting and Power plant. fav-
orod the action, making q few remarks
along the same line as Mr.. Freeman.
II was shown to the board that In
many cases corporations controlling
wires could buy house to be moved
and save money on the deal. It 10
claimed that In raising and lowering
wires. the service OF the light. tele-
graph and especially. telephone COM
panies 10 injured.
Mr.. johnson said In cutting out a
primary on the south side. when It
was necessary because of house be-
ing moved. three large factories which
depended on his power were shut on
an hour. causing big loss. He said
the factories objected to this treat
mont. and threatened to give up the
municipal service.
Phones Are Delicate:
Also the telephone company has
had considerable trouble. when wires
are moved. On account Of the deli
cate mechanism Of the automatic tele-
phone service the system Is much
more susceptible to damage, accord
Ing to Mr.. Freeman.
He said Il was q matter of import
ance to the Municipal Light plant,
the Light. Heat and Power company.
the Central Union and Richmond
Home Telephone companies. the West
ern Union and the Postal Telegraph
companies.
Mr.. Freeman. City Attorney Gard
ner. Superintendent Johnson Of the
city light plant. and some other tele-
phone and electric light men. will hold
. meeting soon to discuss this import.
ant matter.
Il 10 said that thousands OF dollars
worth Of damage 10 done every year to
the wire companies by house moving.
The damage to consumers OF electric
ity and telephone patrons is also very
heavy. according to johnson.
A New City once.
George Knollenberg. former coun-
cilman-at-large. was appointed assist
ant street commissioner by the board
this morning. an once which has just
been created. The salary was fixed at
$3.50 day. Mr.. Knollenberg has not
yet accepted the position. It was at
iirut decided to appoint him trench In
spector. . position which would in
clude the examination Of all excava-
tions In the streets by public service
corporations. II IL an important work
which the city has just taken up. Az
ter finding that Mr.. Knollenberg could
not be used all the time at this work.
the new once referred to was created