St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-05
THE COMPANY, CONDITIONALLY.
AGREES TO REDUCE 1T TO
PRIVATE CONSUMERS.
TERMS OF THE REDUCTION.
ENTIRE CITY TO BE LIGHTED I'm
THAT WAY AT $23 A
LAMP.
ELECTRICITY FOR ONE DISTRICT.
The Board of Aldermen, After Hours
or Debate, Take Steps to Sc
cure Cheaper Gas.


If the assembly concurs with the
board of aldermen in it's action on the
city lighting bids last night the net
price of gas to all private consumers
In the city of St. Paul will be reduced
on June 1 next from $3.50 to $130 per
thousand feet. The board of aldermen
received this positive assurance from
f. w. M. Cutcheon, the attorney for
the St Paul Gaslight company. Act
ing upon this assurance, the board, af-
ter session lasting until IL o'clock,
adopted two resolutions.
by the first resolution the board ac-
cepted the proposal of the st. Paul
Gasllght company to light the entire
city with gas. beginning April /, at
the price of $23 per lamp per year.
by the second resolution the bid of
the gas company to light district No.
with electricity, beginning May Is. at
the price OF $3.50 per arc per year, was
accepted. Both resolutions instructed
the city attorney to prepare a proper
contract to be entered into with the gas
company.
Ihese two measures, simple as they
seem, were not adopted without a long
Struggle, in which Aid. Murphy, Kar-
tax and Wolf constituted the chief op-
position, though aided occasionally by
the vote of Aid. Lindahl, who appeared
to think that the Seventh ward was
getting the best of everything. Even
on the second resolution Aid. LindahI
first voted no, which would have de-
txxyn in1,
qulred,-but he changed his vote after
a speech by Aid. Markham, which will
go on record as the hottest that has
ever been delivered in the council
chamber since the present body came
into existence.
Much of the debate was tedious
owing to the errors, misunderstand-
ings and confusion that some of the al
dermen labored under, but the wind
up atoned for all.
The matter came before the board in
the shape of the report from the board
Of public works, city engineer and
corporation attorney, which was eX-
pected the previous evening. The re-
port is concise, tabulating the bids as
follows:
The board of public works, the city en-
gineer and the corporation attorney, to whom
were referred the bids of the various parties
for lighting the city with gas and electricity
In accordance with the Specifications here
tofore prepared have examined the same
and report as follows:
By the specifications for. lighting with gas
IT is provided among other things as follows:
The right, however is reserved to said city
to decrease from time to time the number
or lamps in service and to discontinue the
lighting by gas of the whole or any portion
OF any street or particular number of streets
or any particular section of the city, The
specifications for lighting with gas provide
that the work to be done under the con-
W. rd dQ6 hall
l, 1896, while il contracts are awarded for
lighting with electricity, the work thereun-
der is not to commence until May Is, 1896.
Between these dates all portions of the city
heretofore lighted with gas must continue to
be lighted with gas, and in view of these
facts and of the provision in the specifications
for the discontinuance of the gas lamps, we
recommend the acceptance of the bid of the
st. Paul Gas Light company for lighting all
the city with gas, and the award of the con-
tract to that company therefor.
II that portion of the city heretofore lighted
with gas shall be lighted with gas for one
year from the LIST of April, 1896, based upon
will be $74,221 This is ON basis of 1927
gas lamps at $23 each per annum
District No. 1.-The lowest bid for lighting
with electricity in District No. 1 is that Of
the East Side Electric company, and is $145
for each electric light per annum, and to
light that district with electricity would re-
quire ZIG electric lights, making a total cost
OF S31, 800 per annum.
To light the same district with gas as here
tofore lighted would require approximately
1,227 gas lamps, which, at cost of $23 per
annum each, amounts to $2S221. Thus it will
be seen that District No. l can be lighted
with gas for $3,O99 less than with electricity.
District No. 2-The lowest bid for lighting
with electricity in District No. is that of
the st. Paul Gas Light company, which is
$6950 per electric light per year. There are
required for this district eighty-five electric
lights, which would make the cost of light
ing in that district $5,907.50 The approximate
uIIr har Of for fhot diCfr ria NI
same has heretofore been lighted is 528, which,
at cost of $23 per lamp per year, amounts
to $12,1A 1t will thus be seen that Dis
trict No. can be lighted with electricity for
$6,2S650 less than with gas.
District No. 3-The lowest proposal for light
ing District No. with electricity is that of the
ST. Paul Gas Light company, which is S148
per electric light per annum. One hundred
and seven lights are necessary for this dis
trict, and the cost to light the same at that
rate would be SIS, 1856 per annum. The ap-
proximate number of gas lights required to
light this district as the same has heretofore
been lighted is 612 which would cost, at the
rate of $23 per annum, $14,076, showing that
this district can be lighted with gas for 81 ,76O
less than with electricity.
District No. with respect to District No.
the bids are in such condition that they can
be arranged in four classes, which, with the
cost according to each class Ghere being 157
electric lights or $50 gas lamps, is as follows:
First-Bid of Edward B. Smith. so
lights at $125 each. h............... $40 900 90
Bid of the st. Paul Gas Light COM
pany, n lights at $3.50 each. ........ II, $50 90
Total ...... ........................$ .$21, $50 90
company, 157 lights at $13O. ....... .$2O, 41O 90
Third-Bid of Edward B. Smith, so
lights at $125 each. $40, 900 90
Bid of St. Paul Gas Light COM
pany, 403 gas lamps at $23 each.... 9,269 90
(457 gas lamps being displaced by
the so candle power lights
Total 80. ............. .$19, 269 90
Fourth-Bid of the gas company $50
gas lamps at $23 each. .............$ $19, 780 90
This calculation is made on the basis of
$50 gas lights in the fourth district and it
appears from this that 1t is cheaper by $511
to light portion of this district with electric
ity under the proposal of Edward B. Smith
and the balance with gas.
If contracts are awarded to the lowest bid
ders as indicated, after the contracts for
lighting with electricity in Districts No. and
part of District No. take effect, the cost of
lighting the city per annum will be as fol-
lows:
District No. 1...........,........... $2S, POI 90
DlstrlcC NO. Z.........s... .............., o9Ot 0U
DlStflct NO. 8. l4UI6 W
District No. 1929 90
Total .........,.s s67, ,47S 80
II the entire city were to be lighted with
electricity and four separate contracts should
be awarded therefor accepting the lowest bid
in each district, the result would be as fol-
lows:
District No. .$S1 800 90
District No. 2.......................... 5907 so
District No. 20 40 90