St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-02-02

hour pro rata deduction in the month
ly bill Is made. Now this Is business
like. Why not follow this good ex-
ample? The people Of ST. Paul do
not want to pay for more gas than
they get
Penalties-The stipulated pro rata de-
duction for deficiency in candle power
is good as far as it goes, but why not
make the same requirements in this re-
spect Tor the gas as stipulated for the
electric light. namely, sif the candle
power falls 20 per cent below the re-
qulrements, no payment. That would
be fair and no discrimination. Fur
Their, assuming the candle power Of the
gas rails to IA or even IL, what redress
has the individual consumer? None
whatsoever. Why not protect the pub
lie also? This can easily be done. The
city, of necessity, must test the quality
and Illuminating power Of the gas
every day to enable the comptroller to
approve the monthly bills. The aver
requirements, might be published, and
the public can then demand pro rata
deduction Of their gas bills in case the
gas company fails to do SO.
Heating power Of the gas. A great
deal Of gas is used in st. Paul for
cooking and heating purposes. The
specifications are silent on the point of
AASoS pei CuDtC lOOl. w lily IOI
make proper requirements In this re-
spect?
SPECIFICATIONS FOR GASOLINE
LIGHTING.
Although these specifications are in
force In connection with an already
awarded gasoline contract for the
year 1896, 1T may be Of interest to dis
cuss the same
The specifications call for gasoline
lights equal to fourteen candle-poWer
per lamp to be sustained at that illu-
minat1ng power from sunset until dawn
Of each and every night during term
of contract If any lamp or lamps
fail to be lit any night or nights de-
duction from light bill will be made
equal to amount Of gasoline that
would be consumed in case 1t burned.
twenty-five lamps are taken promis-
cuously, when lit, at any time by the
proper city authorities and tested for
their exact candle power. If these
twenty-five lamp burners are found
deficient in candle power a pro rata
deduction will be made on all lamps
under the contract
These specifications, If properly and
strictly enforced, would seem to answer
all requirements. On the other hand,
if the city authorities do not each and
every month have regular and syste-
matte tests and inspections made on
these gasoline lamps and burners the
contract price Of $11.67 per lamp may
not be as favorable as indicated in the
report. 1 think that the specifications
should have stipulated that the style of
burners used by the contractor must
first be approved by the expert ap-
pointed by the city, besides being ca
pable of furnishing and sustaining a
fourteen candle power light.
E',Irt bar hot
not less than one hundred lit lamps
(burners) should be tested for their ex-
act candle power in service, and that
the payment Of the monthly bills
should be pro rata for all gasoline
light under the contract in accordance
with the average cand1e~pewer found
In the tested burners for said month.
To show the Importance Of these
monthly tests fmay make the follow
ing illustrations, The present contract
price is s11.76 per lamp per year. or 90
cents per month per lamp. Taking
an average Of 5000 lamps we find
1000 lamps at IA C. p (9Sc). 81 $40 90
1900 lamps at 10 c. p. COc). 200 90
$40 90
Surprising the average candle power
for the month was only 10, instead Of
IA; 1t would mean a loss to the city Of
$40 in cash in case the lamps were not
tested anu inspected. On the OllST
hand, If regularly and systematically
tested, the contractor would soon do
all in his power to live up to the speci-
fed requirements to avoid losing
money - gu
To make a further illustration even
more evident of the necessity of sys-
tematic monthly tests [ give some facts
in figures obtained from public rec
ords in Minneapolis. The required
10, 4
every month, from which averages are
taken:
November, 1894, average candle pow
err, T. is2Ss.zzes4 1e..5- ee7s4..zs.
February, 1895. average candle pow
er, 8. .
Deduction OF gas bill for month Of
February, account deficient candle
power 1926.
March, 1895; average - candle pow
er; deduction Of bill, Sab.
April: average, 70 candle power; de-
ductionN of bill, $41S.
May; average, 12.4 candle power; de-
duction Of bill, $375..
June; average, IL candle power; de-
duction Of bill, $516
July; average, 10 candle power; de-
duction Of bill, 1910.
August; average, Is candle power;
deduction of bill, $54
September; average, 1851 candle pow
err; deduction Of bill, $780,
October; average, 16 candle power;
no deduction.
These figures speak for themselves,
especially If we take into sconsidera-
ton that the contractor knew that his
lamps would be regularly tested each
month by the city. Is 1t not reasona-
BILE to suppose that If the city had not
had these tests and Inspections made
In q q he Ioao ~,
candle power would have been still
greater, with a correspondingly larger
loss to the city?
1t is hoped the above will bring forth
further discussion on the Eight uues-
tion," and perhaps some modifica tons
of the specifications before they are
submitted as basis on which to make
estimates for bids for "gas lighting
and electric lighting. One thing is GER
tain, if the city authorities want to
enforce the light contracts according
to specified requirements, q properly
fitted bureau of inspection for making
tests and inspection of gas, burners.
electric light, gasoline. meters, ETC.,
must be established. The cost Of nee
essary outfit is small matter If COM
pared to the value of such an institu-
ton. 1t is the writer's opinion that
testing outfit Of this kind would pay for
itself within a very few months. not
only on account Of direct saving ofmon-
ey, but necessarily also in producing
more uniform and better service both
to the city and private consumer.
st. Paul, Jan. 30, 1895. X.
ffMussulman and Armenian
Is the title Of q neat folder just issued
by the Burlington, giving a historical
sketch of the Turkish empire and de-
scription Of the Armenian people, with
map of Turkey showing the nointo