St. Paul daily globe., 1893-06-11
Gasoline Light Contractor to
Be Allowed the Sum Of
1892.
Comptroller McCardy Blocks
a Move for More by a
Quiet Hint.
So Much or Nothing, Said Mac,
and the Assembly Pays
Heed.
New Bids to Be Received for
Lighting the Balance Of
the Year.

At the adjourned meeting Of the as
sembly yesterday afternoon resolution
was passed directing that ali order be
drawn on the city treasurer in favor OF
Robert Seeger for S11, ,932.56, this amount
to be the compensation allowed Seeger
for lighting the gasoline lamps in the
city during the months OF February,
March and April. Before the money IS
paid Seeger is to file with the comp
troller a receipt releasing the city from
all claims by reason of the work per-
formed by him prior to May l.
The resolution was prepared by the
committee on gas, 10 whom had been
referred the bill put in by Seeger at the
last meeting. In February last the
council awarded the contract for light
ing the gasoline lamps for period OF
five years at S1.23 per lamp per month.
When the decision of Judge Otis was
handed down, which held that the city
could not under the charter make con-
tract for longer than one year, Seeger
at once put in claim for lighting the
1924 lamps in the city during the
months of February, March, April and
Nav Instead Of making the charge at
Sl.23 per lamp per month Seeger
charged S1.25 for each lamp, claiming
that under the contract which he made
with the city the price $1.23 was for
five-year term and that it was distinctly
stated in the contract that for one year
the price per lamp per month would be
S1.25 and for three years S1.24.
These facts were brought out at the
meeting of the gas committee, which
preceded the meeting of the assembly,
and the matter was discussed for over
an hour. Assistant City Attorney
Phillips said the first question to be
settled was whether the council was
willing to pay Seegar anything for the
work he had done since the courts had
decided the contract made With him Ill
February was Invalid.
Mr.. Doran thought itwOuld be hard
ship not to pay Seeger for the work
done, and while he was not prepared TO
talk intelligently on the legal question
of whether the council had the right to
pay, the contractor certainly had a
claim against the city.
Mac Remarks Once.
Comptroller McCardy intimated that
he might prevent the payment OF any
compensation to Seeger on the ground
after the contract had been declared in
valid.
Without appearing to hear the talk
made by the comptroller. Mr.. Phillips
said the second question to be settled
was the amount to be paid for the light
ing of the city by Seeger since Feb. /.
Mr.. Richardson, attorney for Seeger,
said his client had been put to consid-
cradle expense. and the declaring OF the
contract invalid had placed him in a
| bad predicament. Since the courts had
decided there was no contract, Seeger
| had made out the bills for the four
months work, and had charged at the
rate of $1.25 for each lamp per month.
| this being the figure at which he had
agreed to do the work i'll the contract
for one year.
Tie comptroller was of the opinion
that if the council waived the question
| of its right to pay anything for the
work, the compensation should be
| placed at the same price as was paid be-
! fore the new contract was made. This
! price, the comptroller said, was S1.20
per month.
Mr.. Sandell thought the only question
| to be decided was whether the price
| should be under the old contract or
| under the one which the court had just
| declared no good.
| Mr.. Richardson raised the point that If
! the court had decided the council had no
! right to make contract for longer than
| one year, then the committee could not
take the prices which prevailed under
the old contract, which was made in
| 1890 for three years, but would have to
| go back to the contract made in 1889 for
| one wear, where the price per lamp per
month was $2.OS. The committee did
| not consider this point we'll taken.
| Comptroller McCardy said it would
not be unfair if there was any amount
| to be paid to settle at the rate of $1.20
per lamp per month. He said he felt
| certain that Mr.. Seeger would be glad
to continue the work at that figure now
| that the new contract had been set
aside. This statement was
Denied by Mr.. Seeger.
who announced that he could not afford
to do any such thing. MeCardy said
there was not money available in the
treasury at the present time to pay for
the four months, and even if the council
should allow the claim at Sl.20 per lamp
the bills for February, March and
April were the only ones that could be
paid until after the sale of certificates
| of indebtedness during next month. He
also intimated that should the compen-
sation be any higher than he had sug-
gested he might raise the point that the
council had no right to pay any amount
for the work.
Some one inquired if Seeger would go
on with the work of lighting the city.
To this Mr.. Richardson said Seeger
would not 60 on with the work at loss,
and could not be expected to. The loss
toj Seeger If the compensation were
placed at the figures suggested by the
comptroller would, he said, be over
500 per month, to say nothing of the in
terest on the money, and would foot up
total of 5000 difference. This had not
as much weight with the committee as
the hidden threat made by the comp
troller, and a motion to allow Seeger
S12O per month per lamp was carried.
After passing the resolution the as
sembly directed the corporation attorney
to prepare specifications under which
the council will advertise for bids for
the lighting Of the city for the remainder
of the year.
A resolution directing the Chicago,
Milwaukee q st. Paul railway to fence
in their tracks from Western avenue .C
the city limits, as provided by law, was
introduced by Mr.. Daily, and at hi:
suggestion sent to the committee or
streets.
The chair announced the resignation
of Assemblyman johnson from the com
mittee ON taxes and printing, aud the
appointment of ASSemblyman Val
Slyke to the va ancy.
Sacrifice Sale
OF Fine Millinery before removal
Everything in fine seasonable good
sold for less than cost for short tim
at Schultz's, Third and Minnesota.
M'CARTHY'5 THANKS.