The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-25
STREET ELECTRIC LIGHTING.
The Mutual Electric Light Company
Makes a New Tender to Council

4
The electric light question, it appears, is
again TO come up in the council, the Mutual
Electric Light Company having handed n
another tender Saturday night, in which It
| proposes to furnish full arc lamps of 1000
standard candle power at $50 each per
anDum. The following is the full text OF
President Blun's proposition:
! OFFIcE OF TIE MUTUAL GAS COMPANY, !
SAv4NNAH, GA, Nov. 3, 1883
The Mayor and Aldermen Of the City Of 81
| UdunGh:
| GENTLzxEN-None of the bids heretofore sub
| United for lighting the streets Of savannah
| having been accepted, the Mutual Electric Llght
| company OF Savannah. Ca, begS 70 tender the
following proposition for lighting the streets u
| Savannah with arc lamps
| The terms Of the specification Of the council
! already drawn up as to the furnishing ana
maintenance OF lamps, the hours OF lghtlng,
| aud the furnishing Of bonds are all To be con
/ sldered as included in this tender.
Instead Of lamps Of 60O-candls power, upon
which all tenders heretofore submitted nave
/ been based, this company is prepared TO supply
aud hereby bases its proposition on full arc
lamps Of 1900 nominal candle power, guaran-
teed to give an illumination Of loco standard
candles, subject to photometrical tests usual by
other cities where a rigid adherence 70 the
stipuations Of a contract is made compulsory.
The lamps are 10 be in operation within sixty
days after the contract is awarded
The number of lamps to be operated during
the year 1890 will be such as the council may
hereafter determine. but from Jan !, 1891, the
number Of lamps to be operated shall not be
less than 200. The term Of the contract to be
from the date Of commencement of operations
up TO and including Dec. 81, 1896
The price per lamp per annum to be $50.
THE Mutual ELECTRIC LIGHT COMPANY.
By HENRY BLUM, President.
In an interview yesterday with Capt.
Henry Blum, president Of the Mutual Elec-
trio Light Company, that gentleman said:
| I'VE notified council when the bids of the
two companies were rejected that we would
make more favorable proposition to the
city than any yet made. We also submitted
the latter to the Brush company, so as not
to take any advantage. Mr.. s. P Hamil-
ton, president Of the Brush company, in
commenting upon my letter, seemed to act
on the theory that no one has rights but the
Brush company. [ suppose he misunder-
stood the intention, and in his zeal TO secure
the contract for his company, went too far.
Il never said anything in regard to Mr..
Hamilton's connection in his official capac-
ity as an alderman when he procured the
contract for his company. He had the inside
track and he apparently made good use Of it,
the rules of the council regarding contracts
IN which one of its members may be person
ally interested to the contrary notwith-
standing. However, that is a thing of the
past, and while do hot think the contract
test Of law. it is not my place to say any
thing about it. They have had a good
thing Of it. just think of it'll Twenty-Five
thousand five hundred dollars for 100 arcs.
Was there ever such extortion? | call it an
imposition. We offer them for $4,000.
"The copy of our tender which have
just handed you provides for furnishing
power than the Brush company's present
tender.
'Now, when it is considered that the
Brush company offers council 100 arcs free
for $780, if the contract is awarded it, what
does it mean! 1t means simply that council
shall pay for the coming year only for the
100 arcs of the old contract, and the 100 new
arcs shall be saddled on and payment
spread upon successive councils
eff the council" says Capt Blum, ''should
determine to ignore this contract, they can
then feel tree to close a contract on really
advantageous terms. If, on the other hand,
1t takes the position that the contract is
valid, then it has no option but to pay the
S25, 500for 100 lamps In 1890, and also for such
other lighting as may be required. Council
has no right to make arrangements TO pay
less for 1890 than its agreements call for,
and saddle. upon future boards of Aldermen
the payment of the balance Why should
the present council shirk paying,
say S25,50O, which they say they are
legally entitled to pay in 1890, and arrange
that future city councils shall have $1,000
or $4,000 a year extra to provide for to
make it up? If the council can accept 100
lamps gratis for 1890, why can it not accept
200 lamps gratis and escape all payments
for lights next year and saddle upon future
councils the payment of it by granting a
contract at a price which will recoup the
contractor for the present he has made to
themW
Mr. David Douglas, secretary of the
Mutual Electric Light Company, has been
doing some figuring on the matter and de-
Quoting strong points in favor of his COM
pany by comparison. 1t appears from his
statements that if the Brush company is
awarded the contract the city will not get
100 per cent. more illumination by the addi-
ton of 100 lamps, but that there will be
only an increase of 20 per cent. illumina-
ton. Mr.. Douglas says:
1.-The Brush company's tender is for lamps
of 40 per cent. less illuminating power than
those now in use for street lighting. The
200 lamps the Brush company propose to
supply, instead of doubling the volume of
light in the streets, contemplates only an
| addition of 20 per cent.
1.-THE Mutual company, on the other
| hand" Mr.. Douglas continued, proposes
to furnish lamps 25 per cent. better than
those now in use, and the acceptance of
their tender would give the city two and
one-half times the amount of light the city
now has in the streets, and the placing of
these lights on lower poles and suspending
them at street intersections would give the
| city an efficient illumination. The city has
offered the Brush company $4,000 per
annumn for this very inferior lighting,
while the Mutual Electric Light Company
| offers more than double the amount of
| light for $4,000 less per year. In other
words the Brush company's bid, to be as
low as that of the Mutual Electric Light
| Company, in proportion to the volume of
| light furnished, should be $10,S00 per year
| instead of $50, 600
Yr rnnua nan NOR, nryuzr