Evening star., 1925-07-15
Commissioner Looks to
Gradual Reduction in Num-
Der on Streets.
HEAVY EXPENSE MAKES
DRASTIC STEP UNLIKELY
Present Law Obscure, But Will Be
Made More Sweeping if
Necessary

Before Congress reCOnyenes. in De
cember. Engineer Commissioner Bell
plans to inquire into the existing laws
governing the stringing of overhead
wires TO determine whether any new
legislation on the subject should he
recommended TO bring about a grad
ual reduction in the number of poles
on the streets.
The question of poles in their rela-
tlon to street safety came TO the fore
recently and the Utilities Commission
is now planning to move trolley poles
from the center TO the sides of Con
necticut avenue beyond the Calvert
Street Bridge and TO place the high
tension wires underground along that
part of Connecticut avenue
Col. Bell declared today that the
complete elimination of trolley poles
from the main highways could be aC-
complished only by installing under
ground rail construction, and that in
view of present high prices. he does
not believe the commission would be
justified in ordering such d change
at this time
Bus May Bring Change.
The question of what will be done
in future years on the outlying high
ways where the Overhead-trolleE sys-
tenn is now in effect will depend to A
large extent, Col. Bell said on how
the motor bus develops
As an instance of how the motor
bus may in later years have an i'm
portant bearing on outlying transpor
tation, Col. Bell pointed 10 Bladens-
burg road, where the railway com
pany some time ago substituted busses
for an overhead trolley line
1t developed today that in rebuild
ing its tracks on Wisconsin avenue
III connection with the paving of that
thorOughfare. the Washington Rail
way and Electric Co. is not installing
switch TO connect the Wisconsin
avenue tracks with the tracks on
Macomb street and Massachusetts ave
nue. extended.
This means that for the present the
company will continue TO operate the
temporary bus line to Massa chusetts
avenue extended instead of resuming
car service on the Macomb street and
Massachusetts avenue line.
William F. Ham, president of rhe
Washington Railway and Electric sys-
tenn, said today that whether the com.
pany will later re-establish rail serv-
ice to Massachusetts avenue west NJ
Wisconsin avenue will depend upon
what the people in that vicinity want.
He indicated that if they favor the
temporary bus line now in operation
il Will be retained
Col. Bell, his assistant Mai w H
HolCombe, and Electrical Engineer w
r. Hadley were in accord today in
stating that any plan for the elimina-
tion of poles and overhead wires on
the outlying streets and avenues will
have to be carried out gradually over
a n e -,
heavy expense ii would place upon
the utility companies. and which would
be reflected in the cost of service.
Mr.. Hadley explained that the troll
ley poles used for overhead car
service to the various suburbs were
specifically authorized by Congress
when each of these suburban lines
was started
Law CIarification Needed
With regard to overhead wires used
for telephone, telegraph and electric
| lighting, Mr.. Hadley said that Con
gress passed a number of different
laws 90 to 25 years ago. and he ex-
pressed the belief today that a Clarifi-
cation and revision of these several
enactments would be desirable now.
The legislation governing overhead
wiring on the streets was passed at
different times in piece meal fash
ion. Mr.. Hadley said, and would stand
clarification.
Engineer Commissioner Bell stated
that. as a general proposition, he does
not see a great advantage in moving
trolley poles from the center to the
side of the street. He favorS II on
Connecticut avenue, he explained, be
cause of the heavy traffic there, and
also because it is possible on Con
necticut avenue to put the trans
mission wires underground. leaving
only a single overhead trolley wire.
supported from small poles at the
curb.
Col. Bell still does not believe the
same program could be carried out on
Wisconsin avenue, where center poles
have recently been erected in connec-
ton with the relocation of the car
tracks.
Electrical Engineer Hadley today
| recommended to the Commissioners
that no more overhead wire poles be
permitted on Massachusetts avenue
west of Wisconsin avenue. He eX-
plained that in 1913 the Commission
ers issued an order prohibiting the
erection of any poles on Pennsylvania
avenue. Sixteenth street or Massa-
chusetts avenue from Union Station
! to the District line. When Congress
later authorized the railway company
to put trolley poles on Massachusetts
| avenue west of Wisconsin avenue the
| commissioners removed the ban
against other wire poles on that part
of the avenue. Mr.. Hadley's recon-
mendation today is to restore the pro-
! hibition against poles on Massachu