The daily gazette., 1878-12-13
SECOND EDITION
Light for the City.

|
The Ga, Company Retains the Gas
Lamps, and the Pennsylvania Globe
Gas Company is Awarded the oil
Lamps.
AT the meeting of City Council, last
evening, Mr.. Heusted, chairman of the
Lamp Committee, presented the commit
tees report in relation to lighting, extin-
| gushing, cleaning and repairing the city
street lamps for the year 1879, and fur
nishing all material for the same, as fol-
| lows:
The eastern section of the city, includ-
ing over Third street bridge, to be
! awarded to the Wilmington Coal Gas
| Company, at $3.50 per lamp.
The western part of the city, including
9he Ninth Ward, to be awarded to the
Pennsylvania Globe Gas Light Company
at 81 83 per lamp.
Mr.. Taylor wanted to know if the Gas
Company would use coal oil in the oil
| lamps.
Mr.. Heusted said no coal oil would be
used, ami a much better light would be
furnished.
Mr.. Guthrie favored economy, but the
Gas Company, he sand, Was large tax
payer and also paid out some $4,000 or
$4,000 ner year in wages. He favored
giving le gas lamps the GassCompan
and the oil lamps to the new compa-
ny.
Mr.. Paynter did not approve
of paying higher price for
an experimental light than for
light that is known to be used. OF the
900 gas lamps in the city, at least 800 of
them are in the western section, and the
adoption of the committees report
would throw 800 gas lamps out of exist
ence for the purpose of introducing a
purely experimental light. The Gas
Company's bid was mucn cheaper, and
he thought it would be unwise aud fool
ish to give contract to a new company,
at higher price and for an inferior arti-
Gle. He therefore moved to amend the
committees report by awarding the con-
tract to the Wilmington Coal Gas Com
pany, at $3.50 per lamp e feet burn
ers.)
MIR. Norton offered an amendment to
the amendment, providing. for the
awarding of the gas lamps to the Gas
Company, at $2l.25 per lamp "A feet
sylvania Globe Gas Light Company at
$2l .83 per lamp.
Mr.. Heusted called attention to the
fact that the city has been paying the
Gas Company S3l.50 per lamp, just for
furnishing gas but as soon rs the new
company pats In appearances, the Gas
Company comes down to Sl7 80 and
S2l. .25 per lamp, aud also offers to do the
lighting, cleaning and extlnguishing.
He claimed that some of the gas lamps
did not furnish any better light than the
coal oil lamps.
Mr.. Paynter said representative of
the Pennsylvania Globe Gas Light Com
pany had been present at the Lamp
Committees meeting, and dictated terms.
He wanted to know why the committee
did not have the President of the Will
mington Gas Company present also.
Mr.. Heusted said he did no5 send for
the representative of the new company;
there was no secrecy about the Lamp
Committees meeting, and anyone who
desired could have attended.
Mr.. Norton said the Gas Company was
mo nopoly, and that is AN injury to the
whole people. What was wanted was a
Gas Co. did a good thing in coming
here, as it resulted in some saving to the
city.
Mr.. McGlinchey was in favor of ac-
cepting the lowest bid, if the Gas Com
pauy would use the Pennsylvania Com
pany's lightin the oil lamps. If $1,000
wouldbe savedbyaccepting the Gas Com.
paDy's bid he was willing to accept it.
Mr.. Maxwell said the Wilmington Gas
Company would furnish the oil lamps
with an oil of their own manufacture,
to be used with a patent burner. He
claimed that If the new company had not
come here, the city would have been
compelled 10 pay as much for gas as was
paid last year. He SAID the superintend- |
ent of the Pennsylvania Co. had explain |
ed the merits of his hight to the Lamp |
Committee, and claimed that it was
equal to six feet gas burner. The new |
company have saved money for the city |
and are entitled to one-half, II not ALL of |
the contract. He said they had given |
their light fair Test, and were particu-
larly desirous TO test one In some exposed |
and windy location.
Mr. Norton-Let them bring one up |
here.
The Clerk, at the request of MIR. Hues-
ted read letters he had received from
Plttston, Pittsburgh, Scranton, Lancas-
ter and Philadelphia, Pa, all testifyiug
to The efficiency and cheapness of the
new light.
MIR Paynter thought it rather suspi-
cious that these letters were directed to
the Clerk of Council. He claimed that
the bid of the new company was higher
than the bid OF the gas company and that
the light In front of the City Hall was
very pretty, but no better than the gas
light. Still, he would accept Mr.. Nor
tons amendment
Mr.. Evans thought the Pennsylvania
companys bid was the cheapest, as their
nBuI was cqudi w d OLA icee gas uuluor. |
He said that the gas lamp in front of the
City Hall had an eight-foot burner, and
yet 1t was no better than the new COM
pany's light, just beside it,
After some further discussion Mr.. Nor
toms amendment giving the Gas Com
pany the gas lamps, at s21 % per lamp,
and the oil lamp to the Pennsylvania
Globe Gas Company, at $21 50 per lamp
was adopted, and also the report of the
Lamn GOmmiltee an amendsu
Council then adjourned.