The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-01
HILLS COMPANY SHUT OUT. ]
Electric Companies offered the
'98 Lighting Contract.
COUNCILS VERY WARM SESSION.
James ana Chapman Indulge IN Mer-
cfless Repartee-The Third street
4 saburban Company Must Come
Dewn 70 Union Electric Company
Prices III the Gas COMPANY In
u BE Prevented From biaainS.

The city council met IN special session
yesterday afternoon and agreed &c Instruct
the board OF public works 20 award the
contact for lighting the city for nexs
year to the Union Eiectric Company AID
the Third Street & Suburban Railway
Company, providing The Third Street Com
pany will furnish arcs and incandescenfs
at the same rate as the Union Electric
Company. as was told In these columns
yesterday the two electric companies put
in what is really a joint bid, each agree
ing to Eight one-half Of the city. The
Uaion Eleetrie Company fixed the price
of It's ares per month at IS and that OF its
fifteen candle power incandescents al Si-2o.
The Third Street Company asked $50 for
ares and $I.ss for incandescen;s. asserting
it's right 10 do so. because compelled 10 go
into the outlying districts in obeying the
terms Of fits contract. Under the original
bids of these two companies the city
would save the sum OF 81. aoi.4 40 in COMPARE
son with this years cost OF lighting the
city. and would receive just about the
same service. II tine Third Street Company
accepts the proposed reduction. the saving
will be Increased sl.23s.so. making the
total saving over this year s2.a3s. The
great question now is: Will Mr.. Grambs.
of the Third Street Company, take the
contract? Councilman Naein said, when
the provision was brought up for discus
sion at the meeting, that it was fool
thing To do insisting that Grambs' CON-
pany Ii put 10 far greater expense in fur
nishins its light than Is the Union Elec-
tric Company.
The council meeting was one of the
warmest that has taken place In recent
months. There was nothing like ii dur
Ing the mayoralty contest. There were
two features. One was the great tongue
fight between James and Chapman; the
other was the action taken by the council
whereby Sam Hills corporation. the Sc
attic Gas 4 Electric Company. is shut
out from competing with the other COM
panies for the new street lighting con-
tract. Hills company has ii monopoly or,
the Welsbach light in this city, has strung
the public streets with them to show the
city councilmen and the other good peo-
pie what fine light 1t Is, and had figured
on getting the contract.
But the electric companies now have II
In their power to shut cut the Welsbaeh
people and all because Charles Collins. of
the Seattle Gas K Electric Company, did
not present his bid to the board of public
works until 5 minutes after 10 o'clock.
the time set for the opening of the light
IA Sail .
tionai. that sickness delayed him; that
he had no idea Of taking advantage of the
other companies in case old bids were re-
jeeted and new ones called for and to
show that he was acting in good faith ne
yesterday offered TO have his original bid
which he had turned over to DIR. Chap
man opened and considered THAT Is he
only bid | have made said Mr.. Collins.
land II ycu do not believe II, make an
investigation. l will turn over to you let
tiers and kilograms in my Office to show
that the figures in our bid are the ones
ne originally agreed upon"
The council listened while he talked and
then. after a long fight during which there
were few onthursts of oratory. agreed
upan what has been stated In the foreyo-
Ing.
As soon as the council convened. NavI,
ana bodds. as a minority Of the street
light committee. made a report. in which
they said:
The Committee Report
Your committee ON city ilehts TO whom
WAS referred bids from the electric com
nlntes for lighting the city OF Seattle for
lS@. recommend tina, The bids ne rejected
on the grounds that t~ey are too high and
that the board of n,ahilc works he in
Ntfgcted 10 again advertise for bids giving
ten days notice of the same"
Then Chapman, who Is the chairman of
the committee on lights made IA merry
siieeeh. I'm which he said ne had refused 10
atGn the report tecau-e the other members
OF the committee Nouls not give their con-
sent 10 have the following added 10 It:
Your committee very rauch regrets that
The gas company did not pnt in its ma
= ilne fcF n" hoard 20 consider IL Rv
ialhnE u secured m unfatr advantage over
me eirctfie companies, which acted In c0na
ialth With the city aud n the council con
Slsi|fs thnt an unduS advantage has hee-
ttkeh over the above companies I, rec.
cnimehds thar the gas company be- REQUEST
ea not IN Did for this years Ightlng''
Chapman insisted shat the failure NJ Tho
gas company ~ Get IN SIS hid WIS any.
thing but right. II had ton laws in which
10 do SO ana failed. There was no exrnSs
.oF Il IN his Judgment. and Il certainly
placed The electric companies. which YER
sealing honotahly vita he city AT a erea.
di"adsaniage- He did NOT believe IN enrn
methods. We stated that Mr. rot,ina haa
handed him his bid after the heard -
public works had rsguzea % accen, !, t,,t