The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-04-10

Shall the contract be sustained
notwithstanding the objections of tht
mayor therefor"
This was the question which precip
stated lengthy debate at the city
council last evening. Even Mr. McCor
nick spoke. his first appearance or
the floor this year.
Mayor Baskin's veto of the light con.
tract precipitated it. The message fol
lows:
To the President and City Council. Salt
Lake City. Utah:
Gentlemen herewith return djsap-
proved the contract between Salt Lake
City and the Salt Lake and Ogden g
Md Electric Light company. approved by
asons:
IT is stipulated that each of the 300 arc
lights contracted for shall "At all times
pc OF 1000 candle-power as defined by the
orlds Columbian Exposition Electrical
congress, which means an are DrOdilced
by ten amperes and forty-five volts no.
tenCaI difference between the carbons or
35O watt arc. and TO be provided with
goo goo caroonS which will convert the en-
erSy ITO light with reasonable high eff
cheney. The candle power produced by
currents of less amperes or less volts to
De rated proportionately'
ms clause is so Obscure and contradi
c9Iy as 10 make 1t extremely difficult to
place any construction upon it at all.
ne Hrst portion of the clause conveys
tHe ldea that II was the intention to pro
wac lamps of capacity as near to 5000
eahuIe-power as ten amperes and forty
nNe volts, or 400 Watts would practically
Ptouuce; put this idea is contradicted by
lne provision that the candle power pro-
ouced by currents of less amperes or less
volts TO be rated proportionateIy
me erect of this, plainly leaves the
C4hale-poWer which shall be furnished by
each lamp, entirely to the discretion of
lAe Electric Light company, and mas
much as the city in another part of the
contract binds itself without Limitation to
pay Tor each of the lights to be furnished
ane q operated by the company, the sum
OF Se.oO per month, all that portion of the
clause frst quoted preceding that pertain
ing 10 less ampereS or volts, could be
ssruck out without in the least changing
the erect of the contract
In fact, If the whole clause were strick-
en- out, the effect would not be changed
because then, as now, however much the
candle-power of each lamp might fall be-
low 1900 candle-power by the use of less
amperes or less volts, the price to be paid
would be the same and without limita-
The provision for rating the CANDLE
power OF the lamps when less amperes
az volts are used, proportionately to the
peer when the greater number of am
peres and volts are used. only increases
she obscUrity.
FIagrant Ambiguity.
am unable to conjecture what was
INTENDED by such provision. Such fla
grant ambiguity and contradiction as this
clause exhibits, in a contract of such i'm
portance as the one under consideration,
IS anomalous
It is not certain that ten amperes and
Iorty-five volts or $50 watts, will practic-
any produce q 2,0J0 candle-power
In the Electrical Engineer of April a
table is published showing the number of
watts consumed by lamps of various sys-
TENS Of 100 candle-power to vary from
$50 to SOC.
IL the Municipality and County of
March, \. ]. O'Reilley, supervisor of city
lighting in st. Louis, states that 9 $40 am
peres furnished at a pressure of fifty
volts, equals AS watts, and that 1000
candle-power lamp is calculated 10 con-
sumo AIS watts.
IN a letter received from Omaha by the
city recorder. the question: What is the
candle-poWer of lamps?" is answered
=, Goo; nominal lamps are rated as 10 wat
tage $50 fifty volts, 9 ell amperes cur
rent"
The contract calls for ten amperes and
forty-five volts, or $50 watts.
II is my opinion that the Electric Light
companys plant, with the expenditure of !
practically 1000 candle-power.
Moonlight Schedule.
Another clause provides that the COM
Iany shall keep all of said lamps 900, |
constantly burning. during the hours an |
nually printed in the Philadelphia Moon |
light Schedule, for lighting streets, so far /
es practicable in this locality
It is perfectly practicable to keep burn |
ing in this locality the lamps every mo-
,nent of the time during the hours men |
toned in said schedule, and yet to do so |
guild not, owing to the difference in time |
Between this city and Philadelphia, al |
ways give US light at the time it is
needed.
Again this schedule for 1895. which 1
have before me, contains only the hours /
from April l. 1895, TO December 81, 1895,
and the contract runs from April 15 1895,
10 April - 1896
If this schedule has been annually
printed tor several years past as seems
10 be The case, and has differed in differ
ent years, which years schedule governs
Il IS impossible from the language of the
contract TO determine. If the one in 1895
be selected, then it does not cover all the
time which the contract runs and no one
can tell but that this schedule for 1895
may be the last that will ever be pub
ished, and as it fails to cover the whole
time of the contract by over three
bound to keep the lamps burning during
the ho1-rs mentioned in said sch sdule the
company will have done all the contract
requires of it, when the lamps shall have !
been kept constantly burning during the
hours mentioned in said schedule between
he LIST Of April and the S1st of Decent
per 1888, except that on dark
s moon. the lamps are required
o be kept lighted during the whole time
II the contract, and when the company
las thus performed the contract at:-
ording to its provisions it would receive
$50 per lamp per month from April 18th.
SOS. 10 April 14th, 1886.
The provision that on dark and cloudy
lights the lamps shall be lighted at the
lsuaI hour Tor lighting in the dark of
he rrcon should be changed so as to re-
Iuire the company TO keep the lights
'uTning during such times as the moon
hall be 50 obscured by clouds as to
arken the nights. As the provision now
tands the company is only required to
ght the lamps at the usual hour for
IghtiDg IN the dark of the moon but as
will frequently occur that at that |
our the moon will be giving full light |
nd at subsequent hours become dark
ned in such event the company would
lot be obliged to light the lamps when
be moon became so obscured, because