Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-06-20
ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION COM.
PANlEs SEEK re REOPEN
PHONE CONTROVERSY,
ARGUMENTS HEARD BY
RAILROAD COMMISSION
Transmission Lines Object to Ruling
Under Which They Would Be Com
PEELED to Bear Expense Of Rebuilding
Phone Lines Put Out Of Business by
High Tension Wires.
Special to Times Republican.

special TO Times Repubilcan.
Des Moines, June 20.-Representa-
tives of the high power transmission
lines are now making Al effort to Sc
cure a reversal from the railroad com
mission of its order requiring these
lines to bear the expense of putting
in metallic circuits on telephone lines
whose efficiency has been substan-
TALLY lnterfered with by the high pow
err line. Arguments IN the rehearing
Of this question were heard by the
commission yesterday.
The order of the state railroad COM
mission, fl / Dec. 80, 1916, was made
after an extensive hearing on this is
sue. The original hearing was held
last fall.
High power electric transmission
lines are spreading rapidly over the
state. The above order of the state
railroad commission grew out Of the
fact that in numerous instances, where
high power electric transmission lines
were put on the same highway with
rural telephone lines, the rural line
was practically made useless because
OIL LUe MUMMY IJS tlISCl Va tle tIcSNA 4Nils
on the nigh power line.
According to the printed evidence on
this first hearing it was established
that interference of a substantial char
acter usually results from q close
paralleliSm of a transmission line with
a telephone line for a considerable dis
lance. unless the two lines are Sepd-
rated by at least the width Of the high
way or the telephone line is On a
metallic, circuit. the wires OF the two
lines properly t~ransposed with rela-
ton to each other and both lines are
properly constructed and in good con
ditiun.
Ruling Was Brief.
The order Of the state railroad COM
mission as made Dec. 80. 1916. on this
question was brief:
The commission hOlds that If the
removal Of substantial interference
necessitates the installation o fnetallic
circuit transposltions and relocation
of telephone or telegraph lines, the cost
of the same shall be borne by the
transmission company. Other expenses
thai may be required shall be appor-
toned equitably between the COM
panies. And further, hat this COM
mission has the power to prescribe
these as the terms and conditions upon
which franchises to transmission line
companies shall he granted
There are a large number of tele-
phone lines in the state purely local
or rural lines not equipped with metal
lie circuits or constructed so as TO
withstand interference from a high
power line.
Guiher Dissents.
In the order as made by the state
commission. Commissioner John A.
Guiher dissented from the majority
opinion as taken by Commissioners
ThOrne and Chassell. commissioner
Guiher. in stating his position, among
other things, said:
"A person nay use any kind Of tele-
phone apparatus he wishes so long as
his line Is in a community in which
there are no other electric lines. But
it certainly can not be right for a per-
son to use the equipment which is least
efficient in overcoming electrical inter-
ference and then because he happens
to be on the highway first require other
people who ave modern equipment to
stay out of the highway or pay the eX-
pense Of making his plant modern,
Such action, if permitted, is equivalent,
in principle. to giving an exclusive
right to the use Of the highway.
IF by reason of its prior occupancy
a grounded telephone line using the
highway Is authorized by this commits
sion to say to another electric line
which is properly equipped with mod
ern appliances and which in its opera
ton incidentally affects the telephone,
it must either remove from the high
way or pay the expenses Of putting the
telephone line In such condition that it
will not be affected, we thereby allow
such a telephone line to become an OBJ
struction to the highway. It Will stand
in the way of improvement and prog
reSs."