The Saint Paul globe., 1896-12-10
MEND THE ACCEPTANCE OF
THE BID.
AFRAID THE CITY WILL LOSE
a NEW ONE ASKED
FOR.
AID. DoNAHowER STANDS OUT.
Thinks st. Paul ShouIdn't KnuckIe
Down to One Bidder-Ye Yesterday
Meeting.

AS a result Of the joint session Of the
council committees on gas yesterday
afternoon, special meetings of the as
sembly and the board of aldermen Will
be held this evening, either to accept
or reject the bid Of the American De
velopment company for the gasoline
lighting contract.
The session of the committee was not
productive of any additional informa-
tion The majority seemed to favor
the acceptance of the bid, provided
that the contract with the American
Development company be so amended
as to provide for imposing a substan-
tiaI fine on the contractor in case a
test made by the city at any time
should reveal that the gasoline burners
were not giving light of fourteen can
die power.
Inasmuch as the bid has not yet been
before the assembly, and therefore has
not been referred to it's committee on
gas, it was deemed proper that the
members of that committe should rot
vote upon the question Of the accept
ance Of the bid. Accordingly the alder
manic committee, consisting of Alder
men Shepard, Bigelow and Donahower,
disposed of the matter in the following
manner:
Aid. Bigelow moved that the commit
tee recommend that the bid of $1.04a4
per light per month of the American
Development company be accepted.
Aid. Bigelow explained that he advo-
Gated this course for fear that if the
council readvertised for bids that the
ho oh nd
that the city would be compelled to
award the contract at an increased
price, or else the gasoline district would
be in darkness after the night of Dec.
81
Chairman Shepard seconded the mo-
tion of Aid, Bigelow.
Aid. Donabower opposed it and gave
his reasons. Said he:
1.-The fear that a Reimbursement
would result in higher bids or only one
bid, does not appeal to me the least
bit I am unalterabiy against this
one bid business, and I will say right
here that it is very strange that in
city of this size only one bid was
put in for contract Of this nature.
If the city of St. Paul has got to
knuckle down to one bidder, the sooner
we find it out the better.
Aid. Shepard agreed with Aid. Bige-
low, that there was danger that the
district lighted by gasoline would be
plunged in darkness, if the city read
vertised and the bids should be higher
Aid. Shepard did not see so much
objection to accepting the bid because
1t was the only one, inasmuch as every
other man or company had the same
privilege of bidding~as did the Ameri-
can Development company
Assemblyman Krahmer remarked
L; Il
opened, it would be unfair to reject it
simply because no other bids were
received. If it was reasonable bid,
It ought to be accepted.
Mr. Richardson, representing the
American Development company, as
sured the committee that if the com
pany secured the contract, the city
would have the benefit of the cheapest
gasoline lighting in any city in the
country.
Aid. Donahower maintained his po-
sition and remarked that he believed
the citizens would rather do without
light than have a contract foisted on
the city
Accordingly, by a vote Of two to one.
Mr.. Donabower voting no." the COM
mittee decided to recommend the ac-
ceptance of the bid. 1t is understood,
however, that a contract will be
adopted providing for test of the
lights ana SuDSCanLlal nne IN case
any of them should be found to be
giving less than a 14-candle power
light The contract will also be amend
ed to so bind the company to furnish
14-candle power light instead of
furnishing gasoline sufficient to sus-
tain a 14-candle power light. This
contract will be rendered to the Ameri-
can Development company for its ac-
ceptance, and if i. agrees to accept it,
then the council will accept the bid of
the company. AT least this is the plan
proposed, but whether it will be
adopted by both bodies of the common
council, remains to be seen.