The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-10-05

| tract that will bind the city for period
OF seven years TO use a stipulated number
Of lights? There Is no question but that
under the present contract the city Is not
bound to anything, and the city Is at lib.
erty TO build an electric light plant and
operate 1t without injustice TO anybody.
III this new contract IN made II means tnat
the city can not own It's own plant In the
future unless h continues paying 70 tne
company the amount called for until tho
contract expires. | therefore move tnat
the light proposition be laid on the table.
We are only here for a short time. ana
hardly think we should act on the ques-
ton at least nj this time. Let 1t rest for
while and let the next board OF alder
men take II up don't believe another
| alderman Will be elected In this city unless
| he pledges himself as being In favor Oh
municipal ownership.
1T Is true" he continued. they are
| making small reduction In price; but
| why? They saw that the people were
| agitatlng this matter and intended to put
| In their own plant and they thought the
| matter would be shelyed II they came
around offering a slight reduction IN
price"
Alderman Streets motion to table the
| light proposition was seconded by Alder
| man Heiser, and was lost, the vote being
| as follows;
Yeas Latham. Street, McAughan, Gro
nan and HeIser.
Novs--Sonnen Koblbaufl. Burke. Gels
altman Adnir Notibows ana Aubortin
Mavor Rice then asked CITY ATTORNEY
Stewart II he thought IL the city entered
into this new contract with the electric
light company 1t would be absolutely bind
ing mon tho citv for the next seven
sN"a'
Upon the city attorney replying IN the
affirmative the mayor cautioned the coun-
ell about enterlny into such a contract
,a a,.,,,.,,, ,',.' ~. :, ,,.. .ar,o,s
wv "piu p''S' ea'ihs '"a' A. was so 'ou'
matter and worthy OF due confederation
at their hands.
Considerable discussion followed. Alder
man AuDertin contendlng that 1t would
take several years to get a municipal cleo
tric light plant in operation. and he
thought 1t best to make the new contract
IN order to get the benefit OF the re.
ductlon In price He concluded his &C.
marks by saying: Il have taken my stand
against this thing, and there's where I'm
gong 10 stay.
Alderman Heiser then said: Il think
The alderman from the Fifth misconstrues
tho opinion OF tho city attorney. IL
understand ms language correctly, unter
TO take moro than ono light but under
the new contract We have got to take 233
llghta. and can understand why on earth
Tue alderman from the tltth doesn't see
the difference between one light aud 233.
Tho main reason" he continued. id
vanced by those in opposition to this aues-
ton Is the submission to the citizens tho
right to vote on the issuance of s,)o.o 900
In bonds. and | believe that every alder
man here, outside OF Messrs Sonnen aid
hohlhaun, voted six months ago in favor
OK me Issuance OF S2ao,0oO In bonds to
% used for street Improvement Why is
SIX months ago they wanted s25o.oOo2 /
M"u,a lhe To sec consistency exercised
Alderman Street said oThe clectr,,
light company knows that there is a biz
ulhersnoo IN these contracts. They know
hInSn 49, ,.sa uo"'thv' IN great aeai more
reason, under Tho enisc n, n s,irh, rc,,,".
ton IN price, they bring around another
onn'ravt absolutely binding upon the city,
SO reneroms and sn ' ,St,, :, ,neS u'e
don't they come in and say, 'uere. wa
know that you are paying too much money
,"r ano soiNioe you are gott'ng ana we
would be- rad IN 500 iSs' o os,a ns" w.
benefit OF the reduction. provided !, was
gwen under the old contract but that ia
not what the company Is after. they want
W No US up lot another seven years"
iut' huoerun stated that In his
op'"'oi, IL the question were defeated at
wv po,s. me city would be better of
ny having 'he new eont@ct at reduced
Adorr,
.,,m "v,unuh neiser replied: Let us wait
n sas,, wa, ae'sat comes and then We can
'es aaSrr .nas discussion, discussion,
o, ma' IMAM Anoer,in said II am ar
on5 ,hsApaser as there Is In this council.
""' '"se sot right TO talk
! Mavor NJ.
| mayor hice interrupted the discussion
with the following:
| Tho city attorney sayr thu, mi. ro,,.
contract win h. h,n,,r 'A's "o"
ana ), W o,nuinS lot seven years.
''u 10 not believe that tho council
should ever make such contract nn,cs.
(, we are certain that tho peon,e as.,a aA''s :.
u Tue contract stated that ii would be I'm
'oree until The people should make up their
minds to build a plant Of their avn ,,aa
! | should say accent 4, ~, ~. '"'"
IN INV on,r,on :. y, ~ out the only way.
Ia N 49,