Evening star., 1938-12-11
Fifty Years Ago
In the Stur

Some OF the changes in existing law
proposed by the provisos in the District
ol, appropriation bill" reads an
Se"eo' 49,. editorial in The Star of De-
wires cember T. 1888, 'as reported
Trotest by the House committee are
of general interest. In reference to
overhead wires, existing law forbids the
Commissioners to permit or authorize
any additional telegraph, telephone,
electric lighting or other wires to be
erected or maintained on or over any Of
the streets or avenues of the city of
Washington This provision is repeat
ed in the House bill with addition of the
words and Georgetown thus remedying
the defect which was discovered in the
law when application was made to the
Commissioners by the Tenleytown road
for permit to erect such wires in
Georgetown. The law thus amended
seems to be in shape to prevent with
effect the growth of the overhead wire
system of the Districts cities, and to
hold it in its present condition until,
acting upon the plans to be reported by
the Commissioners, Congress can carry
into effect its avowed purpose of bury
ing the entire network, though, by the
existing law, and by the provision of the
House bill restating the law with above
amendment, the erection or maintenance
of additional overhead electric light
wires is forbidden entirely.
Another provision of the House bill
seems to propose a discrimination in
favor Of electric light wires by permit
ting their erection overhead without
limit until September 80, 1890, and their
temporary erection and maintenance in
cases of supposed necessity thereafter.
This clause reads as follows: And no
wires for the operation of public or pri-
vate electric lighting shall be erected or
maintained on or over any of the streets
or avenues of the cities of Washington
and Georgetown after September 30,
1890, but the Commissioners of the Dis
trict of Columbia may authorize the tenn
porary erection and maintenance of such
wires in cases of necessity The adop-
tion of this provision would nullify the
present law and the corresponding Sec
ton of the House bill so far as the elec-
trio light wires, the most dangerous of
all, are concerned. They are to be
erected at the pleasure of the companies
until September 80, 1890, and at the
pleasure Of the Commissioners after that
date. The proposed change would make
nonsense Of the law. BY September 30,
1890, the electric light companies now
existing and to be hereafter created
could envelope the whole city in cloud
of overhead wires. New companies seem
to be contemplated by the House bill.
1t is provided that the Commissioners in
inviting proposals for electric lights shall
not be limited to any one SYSTEM and
1t Is proposed to amend the existing law
which empowers the Commissioners to
authorize the laying of existing wires
under the city streets by extending the
privilege to the wires of any electric
company with whom contract may be
made for the public lighting
Congress has said that no more over
head wires Of any kind shall hereafter
be erected. The Commissioners have
shown . disposition to make an excep-
ton in favor Of electric railway wires.
This provision proposes an exception in
favor Of electric light wires. The owners
OF the telegraph and telephone wires
will undoubtedly, on these precedents,
claim that an exception should also be
made in their favor, and that the wires
with the weakest electric current of all
should remain unburied. The work Of
making such exceptions cannot be safely
entered upon. If it is once begun, the
result will be that no overhead wires
whatever will be buried"