The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-08
LIGHT FOR THE CITY.

Meeting Of the Gas Com missfoners ia
Award Contracts for Supplying tho
Lamps with Gas, &c.-Lively Defence
or the Mutual Gas Company in Its
Own Behalf.
The Gas Commissioners met yesterday afternoon
at the Offices OF Commissioner Van Mort for the
purpose OF awarding the contracts for the supply
Of gas to the city for the ensuing year. Mayor
Havemeyer presided, Commissioner Van Mort and
Comptroller Green being present.
In the First district, comprising all that section
south OF Grand street on both sides OF the city,
and containing 5000 lamps, the contract was
awarded 10 the New York Gas Company at $ss q
lamp, the work to be done being the supplying of
gas. the lighting and extingushing Of the lamps
and the glazing Other work needed was not
taken up for consideration.
In the Second district, comprising the section Of
the city bounded by Grand street and Thirty th
street and both the rivers, containing 6 635 lamps
the contract was gwen TO the Manhattan Com
pany at $33 lamp The terms OF the contract
were the same as the first district.
In the Third district, running east and west from
Thirty-ourth street to Seventyninth street, there
are 4,041 lamps and there were two competitors
tor the cOntract-tne Metropolitan Gas Company
offering to do the work at $37 lamp provided 1t
got all the district, and at $50 lamp for any p0r-
ton thereof; and the Mutual Company Offering to
do portion OF the work at $S5 lamp for said p0r-
ton.
Commissioner Van Mort stated In regard 70 the
proners of these two companies that the bids were
informal and could not be received, the bonds not
being presented and the departmental formula not
being used IN one case, and On the ground Of expe-
diency IN the other.
discussion ensued among the Commissioners
as to what should be done with the bids. the main
point being to find out whether the Mutual Com
pany should be excluded. On calculation being
made 1t was found that were the contract awarded
to the Metropolitan Company at $37 lamp for the
entire district saving OF something like $4,000
would be effected. AT this point Commodore Gar
rlson, President of the Mutual Company addressed
the Commissioners, asking them to decide then
whether or not the Mutual Company was to be de-.
prived under every circumstance OF a chance OF
competition He explained the claims OF the COM
pany for consideration. The Mutual Company, he
with the Metropolitan Company, which would have
been monopoly, saved the city hundreds of thou
Metropolitan Company were obliged to cut down
prices to the lowest point and the only
how nc the Mutual CoHpsny received was merely to
tropOlitan Company. He did not believe that such
a mode OF procedure would be practised by the
mercantile community, and the commission should
be guided by the mercantile standard. He believed
1t was just and equitable that the company OFFER
ing to perform all the conditions required by the
contractor, provided that company was the lowest
bidder, ought 10 get the preference; and why
then exclude the Mutual Company. when offered
to perform all the conditions needed at lower
price than another bidder He was sure this was
wrong. But II the Commissioners persisted In
they had assumed that they would continue the
Mutual Company was anxious to know that TACT
Tor they would then withdraw from the cOmpe tor
snip and inform the Metropolitan Company that
they had done so.
Remarks were also made in support of the
Mutual Company's claims by Mr.. A. b. Stout, also
Q member OF the Mutual Company, and, finally
Mayor Havemcycr summed up the arguments OF
both gentlemen, drawing the forcibe deduction
unexpressed by either OF the previous speakers
that were the Mutual Company to withdraw rom
competition there would be no cOmpe tltion and
the result would therefore be that when the
Metropolitan Company put in their bid In the pre-
scribed form as required that company could Ak
$780, as now. The Mayor would, therefore, be in
favor OF waving the technical points raised BY Mr.
Van Wort and OF awarding the contracts at once.
Mr.. Van Mort objected to this, but moved that,
instead OF rejecting the two bids, as at first sug-
gested, they should be laid upon the table and the
difficulty be settled at future meeting 10 be
called by the Chair; which motion was adopted.
The application OF the Harlem Gas Company was
also laid over on account OF inOrmalitIea