The San Francisco call., 1896-08-04
RAYS FROM THE GRAND JURY SEARCHL|GHT


all the facts. Hence his coming is awaited
with interest by private individuals as it is
by the community at large.
Some facts have come to the surface in
reference to the discrimination against
the City as compared with the prices paid
by private parties for lights. The pro-
posals for bids for electric street-lighting
included 622 masts. each mast being forty
feet high, each light to be 1000 candle
power, the lights to be kept burning from
one hour after sunset until half an hour
before sunrise, with the exception of three
nights when the moon is about full each
month, lights being suspended the night
of the full moon, the night following and
the night preceding. There was also the
exception that nine lamps in Chinatown,
one lamp at the City Receiving Hospital
and one lamp at the Folsom-street police
station shall be lighted every night.
Bidders were called upon to estimate
the price of each lamp of 1000 candle
power per night. In the proposals for the
gas-lighting contract the number OF lamp
posts to be maintained was 800, with the
option that the number might be IN
creased, upon due authorization, not to
exceed $500 during the continuance of the
contract. The burners of the various
lamps must average consumption of not
less than five cubic feet per hour.
Under existing conditions the only COM
petition which could be Immediately Of
fered in street lighting must come from
rival electric light company, namely, the
Mutual Electric Light Company. But as
the contracts awarded read for two years
the rates that the Board of Supervisors
have allowed to the lighting companies
will stand for long period. 1t is this
period of two years in the contractwhich
has excited SO much indignation.
There are two reasons for indignation.
the first is that machinery for the produc-
ton of electric lights especially is being
continually improved, the result being
that electric light can be provided at less
cost one year hence than it can be at this
time; and if there shall be any cheapening,
which is inevitable, the public should have
all the advantage which can be derived in
that way. Moreover, it is absolutely GER
tain that nothing can occur TO make the
production of electric light any more ex-
pensive at the end of twelve months than
it is at this time. Consequently there is
no reason in sight why the public interest
can be said to have been conserved by a
contract for two years.
The second reason for Indignation is that
the rates which the Board of Supervisors
have authorized in behalf of the City are
much in excess of the rates charged to
private parties for the same service.
Some explanation may be needed on
this point, but the facts are indisputable.
The average time per night during which
electric lights will burn for the illumina-
tion of the City is ten and half hours,
taking in the long nights with the short
ones. The specifications are from one hour
after sunset till nalf hour before sunrise.
Private parties have an all-night service,
averaging twelve hours, taking long nights
and shorts together. This means that on
the City contract the contracting company
gains one and a half hours every night,
as compared with the service they are
compelled to furnish to private parties,
which is one full night saved by the COM
pany every week on the City contract. At
the rate of 55 cents per electric light per
night the City pays So S5 per week Cor ten
and half hours burning per night. Pri-
vate parties get the electric service twelve
hours per night for So per week.
There is another way to figure this. II
the City had the same period of nightly
service that the private parties secure, the
price paid per lamp per week by the City
would be 81 SO at the present rates. The
City has on an average seventy-three ana
half hours light per week and the private
parties have eighty-four hours for less
money.
The matter of incandescent lights is
smaller than the arc light matter, but the
same rate of Determinations in the price
paid by the City, compared with the same
price paid by private citizens, appears.
The rates are estimated by the 1000 watts.
The rate charged to the City Is II cents.
Large concerns, like the Palace Hotel pay
only between and cents per 1000 watts,
or about half the price charged up against
the City. The incandescent lights fur
nished to the City illuminate the new City
Hall, an engine-house on Bush street and
truckhouse on O'Farrell street.
The City is a much larger customer than
private concerns, which get much lower
rate. What becomes of the excess in
price paid By the City is undoubtedly an
interesting question. There are thos Q
who assert that in this lies the explana-
tion of the supply of coin which is used to
square Supervisors and to keep up all
prices Dy shutting out competition as
much as possible in the light-furnishing
business.
An odd feature is found in the fact that
in outlying districts gas lamps are found
burning almost under electric arc lights,
where the gas lights do no practical good,
but they are paid for by the City at speci-
fed rate.