St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-06-02
AWARDED TO LIVINGSTON.
CONTRACT FOR HEATING AND LIGHT
ING THE CITY HALL.
WORK OF JOINT COMMITTEE.

Mayor Wright Congratulates Him.
self in a Speech = Livingston
Also Speaks Heat Will he
Piped Under Fourth street
From Court Block-Power for
Light From Same Source.
At yesterdays meeting of the joint
city hall and court house committee
contract was made with the st. Paul
Gas Light company to heat and light
the building for period of three years.
Negotiations had been ON foot for some
months, headed by the mayor, to annnl
the contract for lighting the
building with gas and to put in
all electric plant with the view
of the city and county furnishing Its
own light for the building. A great
amount of time and considerable eX-
pendlture of money for expert work
have been given to the project. The
elimination came last evening about
O'clock. when the proposition made by
the st. Paul Gas Light company had
been reduced to paper in form of
contract. signed by Crawford Living.
ston on behalf of the company
and the joint committee on behalf of
the city and county. The CORPORATION
attorney announced 1t as his opinion
that the committee could go farther
than one year in letting a contract. and
thus reversed the former holding on
that subject by the present city admin
istration. and went in the face of the
very claim made by the mayor as to
why the old contract should be
annulled. The contract provides for
paying Sl5.7OO for the first year;
$4,000 for the second year, and
$4,000 for the third year. The contract
leaves out the county Jail and the city
library. Mr.. Livingston stated that he
would contract with the county for
lighting and heating the Jail for $500
the library may he made with the
library board. The contract con-
templates change from gas to
electricity for lighting. The city
and county are TO provide the
electric lamps for starting the
contract, after that the gas company is
to renew the burners. The contract is
10 be put in operation not later than
Sept. l. next. This does away with the
heating plant owned by the city and
county, but 1t is to remain in the build
ing to be used by the St. Paul Gas
Light company in case of acct
dent to its plant. The contract
provides that greater heat than
seventy-five degrees shall not be re-
qured. 1t is the intention to heat the
building and furnish the power for
lighting and running the elevators from
! the works of the Davidson plant OH
Fourth street opposite the court house.
A tunnel across Fourth street will be
utilized for conveying the steam for
heating and the wires for electrical
purposes. ...-....
After the contract had been signed
the mayor made short speech to the
joint committee, in which he took con-
siderable pride in saying that the tax
payer should congratulate tine commit
tee for the work done. He scored the
Pioneer Press for saying that Mr..
Livingston had convinced the committee
that they had been figuring on theory.
and not on practical results. He
then called upon Mr.. Livingston
to make speech. That gentle
man responded that it would be untrue
to say that saving had been effected
in the lighting of the building. Any
saving made will be on the heating.
He also stated that the contract just
made was the same embraced in his
proposition made to the same committee
year ago last February. Mayor Wright
evidently was uettled by the speech of
Mr.. Livingston. and ret0rted that the
toe,
proposition bad been made before.
Mr.. Livingston reiterated that the
proposition had been made in writing
over a year ago, and he had urged the
committee to consider the proposition
embraced III a written statement in the
hands of the committee.
After some wranglipg the committee
ordered the bills of George NJ. McGeary,
George G. Lenhart, W. B. Robinson
and John Kilshaw paid. These are
the sanitary engineers appointed under
resolution appropriating s25 to inves-
tigate the steam plant in tine building.
aud their bills of $50 each were allowed.
The mayor opposed allowing the bills
as claimed. and some sharp words
passed between him and Mr.. Copeland,
who declared it would be a disgrace to
lay the matter over indefinitely, and
that he did not want to be-
long to a committee that would act
in such manner. The men who elaine
the money for services were present,
and declined to have their bills cut in
two. They would place the matter in
the hands of all attorney. one of them
said. They claimed that SIS per day is
the lowest fee for expert work in their
line and they wanted the whole amount
paid.
The petition of the elevator men and
janitors for back pay due them since
last summer was laid on the table, with
instructions to inform the men that the
time had. passed to allow them the SIS
each deducted from them last summer
when there was scarcity of funds.
The custodian's pay roll for May,
amounting TO S1.340. and sundry bills
were ordered paid.