The Progress., 1893-01-28
The STREET LIGHTING CONTRACT
TEN YEARS TOO LONG A TIME
We WANT NO MORE WATER
WORKS BUSINESS.

"URKS BUSINESS.
At the adjourned meeting of the
City Council held on the 10th instant
on the resolution Of Mr.. Wimbish-
the comptroller was instructed to a9-
vertise for bids for lighting the.
streets for a period OF from one to.
ten years.
AT the time this resolution was III
troduced and adopted, we must con
fess that we were too much carried
away with the passage of the ordi-
nance against craps, TO take in the
full import of its meaning. But
since we have had time to think over
the matter carefully, we are clearly
of the opinion that it is decidedly
wrong in respect to the maximum OF
time. In this age it has been demon
ssrated by facts far too stubborn,
that long contracts are dangerous.
They give too much room for the,
carrying ont of schemes which bode.
no good to the general public. By g.
dextrous wording of contract, a
beautiful play on words, our city
could be made the victim of circum-
stances as disatrous, unjust, one sid
ed and contorted as the waterworks
agreement, which has now become
very renowned. No company with
good intentions would care 10 enter
into an agreement to light our streets
for ten years. No company which
cares anything for its reputation de-
sires to compete in cut-throat bus
iness like = wJuld be. Ten years
allows too much latitude and advan-
tage for the competitor. who will
furnish what it is forced TO ard
that only, giving always as poor ser
vice as the city will stand, like tSe,
waterworks company over tha6 of
the one who really intends to give as
good service as he can. Three years
is as long as this contract should be
let for. Then if ar!ful schemen sue
ceded in swindling the city as the
water works company has
done-by the terms of contract ST
course-the city would be the victim,
for three years only, which is fsrpre-
ferable more than ten. We know some
thing about the various modes of car
rying out contracts, we built home
once, and we learned by sad exper-
fence the effect of the definition OF
words as placed on them by different
people. For instance, We have
Enown some people to call certain,
acts shrewd business tricks, which
our instructor had taught us was
rascaljty and dishonesty.
II is this difference in the meaningot
words, these various ideas of what is,
iue the public from her servants an6
hose who have control of public con-
7eyances, contracts, etc, that we are
afraid OF. In line with this we re,
when q certain gentleman,
controlled our City Railway line, that
he invariably gave the public Just as
Door service as 1t would submit TO-.
lis idea being to make as much mon
y ont of the business as he could
reference, thought or regard
or the comfort of the patrons of the
inc. What then we ask, would be
he quality of lights furnished this
ity # such man was awarded the
ontIact for ten years? No gentle
nan OF the council. let us not throw
uch temptations in the way of our
ellowmen. 1t will be but Chris
ian, charitable act on your part to
as many as you can: give.
len as little chance to become dis
onest as possible, and you will per-
orm such a service by limiting the
ontract to three years This viii
i've every one an equal opportunity.
nd if it will not insure better service,
len unquestionably it will be the.
eans OF redressing wrong in
lort time, should the contract be
yarded to another waterworks COM
my.
Again science is each year gaining
ore and more mastery over cleo .
icity; and as the control and knowl-
ge of the current becomes more
ID more advanced, it will be made
give better service, and this will
j in the three years contract as
ch competitor will realize that ef-
iency will have considerable weight
d they will be continually reach
z out in search Of the best. But
tn license for ten years. new ac-
isitions will add nothing to the
asury Of the company, and it will
We no incentive for several years,
acquire mora facilities and efful-
nee in the service rendered.