St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-06
MAJORITY FOR THE ACME,
BUT TOO SHALL TO AWARD THE coy
TRACT TO II.
SPIRITED BOARD lmEETuse

The Vote in the Board Of Alder
men Upon Awarding the
Street Lighting Contract Stood
2 to 4 in Favor of the Acme
Company Eight Votes ARE
Needed.
The gasoline street lighting -muddle
occupied the time and attention of the
board of aldermen during the greater
| part of their session last night. All the
members were III attendance, and after
an hours talk the motion to award the
contract to the Acme Vapor Stove COM
pany was defeated, only seven members
voting for it, one less than enough to
make the award binding. The board
then appointed a special committee of
three to meet like committee from the
assembly with a view to arriving at
some settlement of their differences
over the contract.
President Wolterstorff, of the assem-
bly,, who was present at the meeting,
directed the city clerk to call a special
meeting of the assembly for Thursday
evening, when the conference resolu-
tion will be discussed. if not acted upon.
The gasoline contractwas brought up,
soon after the meeting was called to
order, by Aid. Cullen, who said that for
the purpose of adjusting the differ
ences in awarding the contract he would
move for reconsideration of the vote
by which the report of the committee on
gas was adopted. The roll call showed
Aid. Conley, Jensen. Montgomery.
Markham and Zimmerman opposed to
the reconsideration, and the other six
members in favor of such action. The
chair having declared the motion car
ried, there was some discussion as to
the disposition of the report. which di-
rected therejection of all bids and new
advertisement for proposals.
Aid. Cullen moved that the report be
laid on the table, and Aid. Franklin
moved that it be indefinitely postponed.
Neither motion was seconded and the
regular order of business was resumed,
Aid. Franklin remarking that the mat
ter could be settled when the action of
the assembly came up for concurrence.
Later in the session the action of the
assembly inawarding the contract to
the Acme Vapor Stove company came
up for concurrence. Aid. Franklin
moved that the board concur in award
ing the contract.
Before the roll call 81. T. Stevens
made stalk" for the Acme Vapor
Stove company, stating that the firms
bid was the lowest by $1,000. The firm
was ready to give bonds in any amount,
and all they asked was that the contract
be awarded to them. In order to satisfy
the members that the firm would and
could get the necessary appliances TO
light the city on short notice. Mr..
Stevens read a letter from the Horne 81
DAM company agreeing to furnish a
part of the appliances in ten days.
There having been some question raised
as to the furnishing 1900 lamps
i'll all instead of $500. as
advertised for. Mr.. Stevens said that
the Acme company would furnish any
number required, and at the same price
mentioned in the bid for 3.50O.l In order
to make good this proposition the Acme
company would allow the additional
number of lamps desired to be inserted
| in the contract, and would also pay to
the city penalty of $500 per lamp if
within twenty days after the date of
the award the lamps, complete, were
not ready for use.
Aid. Markham questioned the city at
torney as to the legality of the Acme
oop,nonx- furpicbi,,cr s00 ID
lamps without the city first having adj
vertised for bids for the same. City At
| tOrney Chamberlain said that the addi-
| tional element of more lamps would not,
in his opinion, necessitate the readver-
Using. Having been the lowest bid
ders the firm could, if they saw fit, give
| to the city any advantage they desired
without affecting the legality of the
| contract. Mr.. Markham said the city
had called for proposals for contract
under advertised bids. Now it was
proposed to increase the number OF
lamps by 500, and the question was
could the contract be amended
so as to include the purchase of the
| lamps without readvertising for new
| bids. Aid. Hickman. who had called
| Aid. Warren to the chair, thought per-
| sonal preferences should be laid aside
in this matter. The work had been well
done, and he would be, glad to see Mr..
Seeger again awarded the contract. The
aldermen were creatures Of the council,
and in this case the charter expressly
provided that contracts should be let te
the lowest responsible bidder. All the
bids authorized to be rejected were
unreasonable ones. The question was
plain one. Which of the three bid:
was the lowest? Unquestionably the
bid of the Acme company was the low
est. There were worse things tina
could happen than to have the city
unlighted for one or two nights. On,
was to ignore the charter and not lie
the contract to the lowest bidder. Thi:
would be of more damage than leavins
the city unlighted for days, or ever
weeks.
ON THE ROLL CALL
to award the contract, Aid. COpelaq
; said that he was satisfied the Acme com
pany was the lowest bidder, and h
would so vote. Aid. Conley voted mo
without any explanation. Aid. Cullen
Dorniden and Franklin voted to awar
the contract, without remarks. Ald
: Jensen said he was not satisfied an
voted mo" Aid. Markham explaine
!, at length his reasons for votin
against awarding the contract. Nothin
|