Norwich bulletin., 1913-03-11

About 20 citizens were present Tn the council chamber on Monday even ing for & special hearing by the pub lie works committee on the two pe- titions of the S. N E. Telephone com- pany for permission to change the pole line on Thames and West Thames street, southerly from Thames square to the West Thames Street Sch hool house, and for permission to excavate in Sherman and Sachem streets Tor conduits for the company'S s wires The c0ndufts are to have duet Tor the use of the police and fire signal wires
 Mayor T. c. Murphy presided at the hearing. with the members of the pub lie works committee, Alderman M. H. Hourigan and Councilmen Joseph F. Williams and W. J. Kramer present Corporation counsel Joseph T. Fan ming and Alderman Thomas H. Beck ley also attended.
 No Opposition on Sachem Street
 There was no one to be heard on the Sachem street petition and the hearing was declared closed after Mayor Murphy had asked if any one wished to be heard.
 On Thames Street Pole Location.
 The hearing on the Thames street pole line was next taken up. At the request of Mayor Murphy, M. D. Mil ard expained the reasons for asking for the change. He said the poles were old and unsafe and in a danger ous location now as some poles were within 3 feet of the trolley cars and he believed there was a state law that specified that poles should clear the rails by feet. District plant chief, M D. Willard of the telephone company said that the trolley company and the telephone company thought that one line of poles ought to do on this street Some poles were near the cars that they had to be cut into.
 To questions from Civil Engineer George E. Pitcher MT. Willard said he could not tell whether the engineer of the public utilities commission had been here recently and ordered this done.
 G. w. Dolbeare protested against the change on the ground that it was infringing on good deal of private property. w. W. Beckwith also pro- tested and spoke for compelling the Telephone company to place under ground conduits instead of the poles, and rotten. MT. Beckwith said that conduits were in the line of public improvements. MT Beckwith told an amusing story in Illustrating his point that the petitioners were talking well seemed to mean well, but it was a question just. what they would do. MT. Beckwith said he believed there was a nigger in the woodpile somewhere and indicated he did not believe it was entirely the company's solicitude over the safety of the public that was the moving cause in presenting this pe- tition.
 There were about 31 poles on the plan submitted by the Telephone com pany for the west side of the street, all but two of which were back of the sidewalk line.
 Showed Where Poles Would Come.
 To MT. Pitcher, MT. Willard said that poles of Is to 16 inches diameter would be used, and Mr. Pitcher then proceeded to show where each pole would stand on the street, according 0 the plan. The sidewalk for much of the distance is 1-2 feet wide and he pole would take out about 20 in :hes of this. Some pole locations anne in front of stairways, one was lose up against the front of a 1ouse, one against corner of a barn, md one would necessitate the removal ,f fine maple tree. The civil en- sineer said also that there was no provision made for the city wires. This investigation he had made for he public works committee.
 Speaking as citizen, MT. Pitcher | aid he did not believe in giving the | Southern New England Telephone 1 company pole locations inside the | sidewalk such as is given in no oth- 1 1T city. In that way the wires would l ,e directly over the sidewalk and ex- !