The news & observer., 1897-02-23
FOR a PERIOD OF s YEARS
T,ECTRIC COMPANY TO FURNISH
10 ARC LIGHTS.
GAS COMPANY 100 GAS LIGHTS
The New Contract Begins on May g.
The Street Railway Stockholders
Called to Meet Next
Thursday.
hursda


tracts made by the committee having the
matter in charge
Two bids were received. The first
from the Raleigh Electric Company, Of
fering TO furnish 20 arc lights, 1,200
candle power, to run all night. and every
night, for five years at S14.Io per hght
per year, or the same lights for period
of ten years for $40 each per year. 1t
is guaranteed that, if for any cause, the
lights fail to burn all night, a reduction
equal to the price paid per hour will be
made for the time they do not burn.
The Raleigh Gas Company offered to
furnish 20 to 80 are lights, of LOO can
die power. to burn all night every might,
for S75 per annum per light and 100 or
more gas lights for $3.50 per lamp per
month and light, put out and keep such
lamps in good order. 1t is stipulated, now
ever, that all gas lamps must be ON the
cOmpany's present mains and all electric
lights in its present circuit. The privilege
of accepting the gas lights without the
electric lights is also given in this pro-
position.
Heretofore, as previously pointed out
in this paper. the gas lamps have been
burned half the night for half month.
or. in other words, all night a quarter
of q month. This cost on, an average.
about 81 a month. In addition to this
the city had to give a man $500 to light
and put out the lamps as well as pay
some one to go around and take the
meter.
Now the gas company proposes to use
no meter. but let the lamps burn all
night all the year round for $3.50 month
and furnish man to light and put them
out 1t can readily be seen that this
is an immense improvement on the old
contract.
The Light committee met in the May
or's office February 18th, 1897. at $3.50
o'clock. and on motion the bids for light
ing the city as per bids asked for
were opened and read.
for lighting the cit vas per bids asked for
were opend and read.
ON motion the bids of the Raleigh
Electric Company was accepted for the
five year bid, subject to the ratification
of the Board, provided any further
lights may be called for by the city at any
time during the continuance of the con-
tract period at the same price per light
as named in the bid, and the bid of the
Raleigh Gas Company was accepted, sub
iect TO the ratification of the Board, for
the 100 or more gas lights at the price
named in the bid.
This committee, presenting its report
last night ,propounded the following ques-
tions to the full Board, somewhat in the
nature of amendments to their report:
What compensation should the city
pay il they wish to terminate the con-
tract at end of first, second, third or
fourth year?
sWhat indemnity should it require for
faithful performance of the contract?
what guarantee will be given that the
Street Railway viii resume and continue
in operation 2"
Touching these questions from the COM
mittee, Mr.. Alf. A. Thompson, president
of the Raleigh Electric Company, said
the bid was made by his company simply
for lighting the streets and not for run
ming the cars in connection Herewith.
The company owned the street railway
franchise and they had no idea of giving
up their charter, and it was their inten-
tion to start the cars at the earliest pos
sible day and he hoped the lighting con-
tract would be kept entirely independent
of the street car matter.
Alderman Robertson agreed with Mr..
Thompson in his view Of the situation.
Alderman Drewry said the two matters
were independent. of one another and yet
they were closely connected and the al
dermen were here to drive the best bar
gain for the city possible. He said there
ought to be q clause in the contract allow
ing the city, under certain conditions, to
terminate it if the Raleigh Electric Com
pany does not put the street cars back,
and the contract ought to go to some
body who will run the street cars in con-
nection with lighting the city.
This position of Mr.. Drewfy was, Mr.
Thompson thought unfair. He pointed
out the great difference between the bid
made by his company and the one made
by the Gas Company. He thought it I'M
fair TO ask his company to put up poles,
wires and an electric plant with the I'M
derstanding that the city can terminate
the contract whenever it pleases. Why
did you not. he asked, put it in your
proposition for bids, that the company
which gets the contract to light the city
is to also run the street cars? Then we
could have bid inteligently. Besides, to
put in the contract that the city may
terminate it whenever it pleases, simply
means that's we cannot take the contracr.
Alderman Boushall pointed out the
causes for which it might be to the city 5
advantage to terminate the contract and
il these should arise, he thought the city
ought to indemnify the company. AS to
the electric cars, he said that was not
and should not be made a part of the
contract.
Mr.. Thompson explained that in the
matter Of guarantees, he was perfectly
willing to make any reasonable guaran-
tee, provided the city be equally bound.
Alderman Robertson said he hoped the
Raleigh Electric Company would give
better service than the Raleigh Gas
Company had and if they did not he was
in favor of dispensing with all lights. as
the present light were worse than none.
This gave Alderman Boushall an oppor-
4,,nifv ta Opt gaV and Yn0va tha4 IL,