The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-11-19
YEYEAR CONTRACT
Street and Water Board
Accepts the Bids for the
Street Lighting.
THE SUCCESSFUL COMPANIES
The City Will Save Money by the
New Departure Which Is
Considered Legal.

The Street and Water Commissioners
at meeting held yesterday afternoon,
awarded new contracts for the lighting
OF the city. The lucky companies were:
The Jersey City Electric, United Gas I'M
provement and the New York and N1
Jersey Globe Gas Light Companies. n
Electric Light Company was awarded 2
contract for five years. while the othf
companies secured only yearly contracH-
A great many people supposed the Bod3d
had no right to make such long term
contract. but the Board acted under ad-
vice from Corporation Counsel Blair. i
is said. The award was made under =
law passed in 1891, which gives the Street.
and Water Board the exclusive right TO
make such contracts. The Impression
seems to prevail that when the Board
of Finance certioraried the award of
five year contract made by the old Street
and Water Board to the Hudson County
Electric Light Company to the Supreme
Court in order to ascertain If it had con-
current power, that that body decided that
the Board could not enter into a five year
contract. The ruling of the court was
not on the Boards right to make a bnG
term contract, but to the effect that that
particular five year contract could not
stand by reason of defects in the adver-
tisement for bids, which if carried out
would have made the contract practically
a ten year one instead of FIVE This de-
feet was in that part OF the ADVERTISE
ment which said the company receiving
the contract was to have a five year hold
on the city for every lamp it furnished,
no matter when put up. As a conse-
quence, had the company furnished a
hundred or more additional lights to-
ward the close of its main contract, it
would have still had a five year contract
with the city for the new lights. Tho
new contract becomes operative on De-
cember ], the beginning of the fiscal
year.
The agreement with the Jersey city
Electric Light Company Is that for the
ensuing year at least one thousand arc
lights shall be furnished. This is an In
crease of three hundred over the number
now in use. For the remainder of the
term of the contract the city reserves
the right to diminish the number OF aro
lights to nine hundred. This precaution
is taken in order that there viii never
be any difficulty about keeping within
the appropriation The present appropria-
ton for street lighting purposes Is s13s.8as,
but in that sum is included sufficient to
pay for the necessary number of gas and
oil lamps. There is a possibility of the
appropriation being cut down before the
five year contract has expired, particularly
If there is a change OF administration.
but under no circumstances can it be re-
duced so as to provide for less than nine
hundred arc lights each wear
Ine bid OF the company is conseuuently
6ased 9a upon the furnishing Of nine hum
dfeus lamps The price is $99 year for
each lamp. By making q fiye-yaar con-
TRACT the Commissioners contend that is
VIII result in handsome saving to the
city For instance, for 800 lights under a
one-year contract the company asked
Sss, o0s. For the same number Of lamps
TO be furnished under three-year con-
ing of $500. On the same basis Sc. 300 is
saved by making a fve-year instead of
three-year contract, and SO. 800 Is saved
year contract.
Another thing which was an inpor-
tant factor in the making of the long
ing within the appropriation. In addi-
ton to the electric lights the city must
have at least 800 gas lamps. These ara
provement Company at $3.50 each or
8, $50 yearly 1t is also necessary to have
100 oil lamps. These viii be furnished by
Gas Light Company for s20.74 each or
$l4.51S for the 100. Taken together these
lights require nearly s22 900 a year In
addition to this $1,000 is allowed for re-
glazing, which is to be done by the city
this year; $500 for printing and supplies
and $1,000 for cutriggers, which are to
hidden from view in trees in certain
parts of the city, out into the middle OF
the street, where. they win be of some
ture of nearly $4,000 without the electric
lights. Under one-year contract the
500 arc lights would have cost s1e0. 7oe.
demonstrates, the Commissioners say,
that one-year contract was out OF the
question IS the obligated expenditures
would have overreached the appropriation
of Sl2S, 500
Under the five-year contract and pro-
yiding for one hundred more arc lights
electric lights cost only ss9 600 a year AL
lowing LEGO for outriggers, $1,000 for re-
glazing. $3.50 for gas lamps, SASS for
the expenditures reach only s12s, ,06s which
leaves margin OF s752 annually to guard
against emergencies.
inaugurated by the making Of q fiye-
year contract the Commissioners show
that the price IS much lower than
stance, Newark under a ten-year con-
tract has loo lamps and pays for each
one yearly $3.50 or 50 cents cheaper than
a five-year agreement, Albany has $50
lights and pays S124.l0 each; Bingharnp-
ton; "a lights. sIes.50 each; Boston, sss.
den. 1885,. at S13S each; Chicago pays for
LIS at $3.50 and sl02. 10; New York 7S0
at STAG, ss4 at s1s4;25. and l54 az $3.50,
sllS.5o. and Philadelphia 5000 at s14s.
The resolutions of award will be sent
e the Mayer today for his approval. the
Board of Finance not having concurrent
power in the matter.