The times., 1897-05-16

| The white-w inged dove of peace tina
| and the flag of truce planted by Prcsiden
| A. A. Thomas between the eonduits O
his company and those OF the PoJoma
| Electric Power Company, in front of tn,
| Evans building, on New York avenue
between Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets
have been both thrust aside and tn c iighl
Is on again with more bitterness thar
ever.
The bone of contention this time is the
decision or Gen. Wilson, chief OF engineers
u. s. A, to award the contract for
lighting with thirty-Jwo arc lights Lafay-
cite, Lincoln, Jud iciary, and Fran kin
Parks. Gen. Wilson'S action In making
the award was determined by the recon-
mendation of Col. Bingham, III charge
OF public buildings and grounds, In tie
heller that under the existing law no othe r
course could be pursued.
The bid of the Potomac Electric Power
Company was 20 cents lamp per night,
while the hid Of the United States Electric
Lighting Company was but .0274 cents per
lamp per night The conclusion to make
rived at from the fact that it 1 g claimed
that the United States Electric Lighting
Company las no conduits leading To the
parks. The Army engineers decided that
under the provision contained in the act
making appropriations for the government
of the District of Columbia for the next
fiscal year, they have no power to grant
permission for the introduction OF addl-
tionai conduits or overhead wires within
any OF the public parks, and that until
Congress shall provide conduit system
1t shall be ,Inla wful to lay conduits OF
erect overhead wires for electric lighting
purposes in any road, street, avenue, high
way, park or reservation except as here
after specifically authorized by law"
The Potomac Electric Power Company
has conduits within each of the parks
The Uniteo states Electric Lighting pen
pie claim that Ii is in direct contradiction
of all established precedent for the officials
OF the War department To accept the high
est bid proposed when there Is another for
the SAME service giving equal and better
facilities. at afigure that is nearly one-t tenth
the prise OF the bid accepted, and they are
determined That the action of Gen Wilson
shall De investigated with the most search
ing ,n!HHteaess
They contend that the act making ap-
proprias.ensfor the government Of the Dis
trict of roluinbia for the fiscal year uf 1897
has no application W hat soever in the award
ing Of the contract just given TO the Potomac
Electric Power Company, and President
Thomas said last night that they did not
propose to stand silently by and allow such
a contracJ HHde that would cost the citi-
zens OF the District OF Columbia nearly ten
times az ma as an electric lighting service
that has hsS4H giving satisfaction here for
years. .andhiseompany would ex haustevery
legal effort hcfore il would submit to such
an arrangement.
Monday morning, he said, the representa-
tiveh OF his company, headed by himself,
would wait upon Secretary Aiger, and enter
a vigorous protest against the approval of
the contract with the Potomac Electric
Lighting Company. The probabilities are
ttat The United States Electric Lighting
Company wiIi carry the fight into the courts
If Secretary Alger declines TO hold up the