The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1889-08-21
A. w. STocKER, \
I. F. THOMPSON, |Com.
D. M. CLLWELL.

The committee has received bids from sever
al companies and among them ALL regards The
one from the Westinghouse Co, as the mo,t
favorable. their Offer of $1O,62l. appearinr
above. 1t will be remembered that the Elec
| trio Light Co made two propositions to the
Council. offering 10 sell its plant for SIS a39 -
| resersing the right of commercial lighting. and
final offer of Si3,775 with ut that privilege
| In their statement at their tine, they include d
| I6per cent bonus as business risk % ann
| also asked $i,2O0 for the land on which thei,
building stands,w first item, the Council
are unanimously opposed to allowing, and the
| same unan1nity exists In regarding the land
| estimate MS very excessive. The lot ia question
is about sOxSl. and it was stated that one equal
ly accessible and desirable of ROxl>O dlmen
| sions. owned by Mr.. Mix. of Rootstown. can be
purchased Tor $500. and with this fact in view
| the committee placed u $2a5 valuation ON ,be
hrst mentioned lot, regarding it as u simple
matter of arithmetic Oh It can be Gsured bv ~,
one SO disposed, The e15 per cent bonus amonn,,
in round numbers to 1850, and tn. diff.
| terence in price of lots to Si,GO Add tbri,
| sum to anothsr item OF $4i5, specified bv the
Ravenna Co., in their offer as sundrics ,, in
| Guiding expense of changing charter attorn.
eys' ices. expense of investigating relative
| merits of different systems eic which Conn
| I'll esarded as unwarrantabie and not WORTHY
Oh consideration. and the result is 50 600 re
| garded by the council as excessive valuation
| In case the city purchase from the home com
pany. which. in view of the circumsta noes
they are desirions OF doing. an increased ex.
penditure of 81 $50 will be necessitated in Sc.
| curing requisite capacity and to change the
present lamps to double carbon, all mig hit burn.
ers. SO that the net difference in favor of the
Westinghouse offer. by the figures given In
the committees report is 81 1888. The capacity
of the two plants would be nearly equal alter
| Council had added to the present one. as spo.
ken of before.
The matter was discussed at length BY III.
different members of Council. who examined
| carefully each item and with one accord sane.
TONED the repo of the committee. after add
| lug $a1s o6 to its offer submitted for their al
proval. making total OF $40, us O6, which the
| committee. continued by motion and who
with the Mayor and Solicitor were directed II
meet the representatives OF the Ravenna Go
were authorized to offer them for their plant
The opinion seemed 10 prevail that the Ra
VIENNA Co ought to be well satisfied by receiy
| ing back all they ever invested in their plant
| knowing as they did, that the contract ma G
with the city was subject to the lstter's rieb
| to purchase at cost price within one year from
its date One of the CouacIImen made som,
| inquiries about the alleged three year contrac
| between the city and Co saying that the cit,
should stand by its agreement but as this mat
ter has been fully viewed through the column.
| of the Press, it is Unnecessary at this time 1,
! go into details. Opinions differ as to the rieh
of Council to purchase within th' ee years, bu
| a majority of its members seem to hold an af
frmative view of the question.
The Solicitor called attention to a recent Cir.
cult Court decision to the effect that a city OF
village may anticipate funds Tor necessary city
purposes. The case cited was one wherein tn,
city of Lima. o., through its Council had mad,
a nine years contract with Gas Co, where b,
the Co. was to light the city during that period
At the time of making the contract there wer,
no funds in the Treasury for that purpose. anc
the Council subseq lent y undertook to rescine
the contract. but the Court he d them to theil
agreement. saying that the statute 1orb ddinJ
ssch anticipations had no application in thi
class of cases. The decision is an interesting
one.
The question also arose as to whether at tn,
expiration of the three years contract with tn,
home Co. the city would then have the right t.
issue its bonds under the enabling act of tn,
Legislature. last Spring. and it was general,
conceded that such right would exist, there be
ing no limit mentioned in the act The Mayo,
said that ii Council purchased the plant in
present operation. the necessary changes and
additions 10 be made would swell the total cost
to $4,000, the extent Of their authority TO go
He also stated that y or 40 commercial lights