The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-03
AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT COM
PANY OFFERS TO DO THE GAS
OLINE PART CHEAPLY.
OVER $4,000 LESS THAN 81.
AN ORDINANCE REyOKING THE
STREET RAILWAY FRANCHISE
IS PASSED.
GARBAGE CONTRACTS AWARDED
For All the Wards Except the Sixth
Assembly Has Busy
Session.

night, disposed Of a griSt of important
business. Bids for lighting the city for
the coming year were opened. Con-
tracts for collecting and disposing Of
garbage were awarded, and an ord1-
nance revoking the cable franchise of
the street railway company was passed
The cost of the gasoline lighting for
1898 will be $25, 020, as against $35, 1850 for
this year. a saving of s10,440. This was
brought about by what those inter-
ested call forced bidding, and, it is
claimed, is way below the market
price for the work. The members OF
the council, however, say they have
such infrequent opportunities to save
the city money that the chance Will
be taken advantage Of
The second series Of bids for doing
the gasoline lighting were opened by
the assembly last night. There were
four bidders, and while the formal
award of the contract was not made,
the American Development company
was the lowest bidder and will get the
contract at 691a cents per lamp per
month, or $83 per lamp per year. The
same company now has the contract at
9S1a cents per lamp per month, or $l1.82
per lamp per year.
A month ago when bids were opened
the American Development company
put in a bid to do the lighting for 80
cents per lamp per month. The Carton
Light and Power company, an Eastern
concern, went under the bid of the De-
velopment company and offered to do
the work for II cents per lamp per
month. After the bids had been refer
red to the joint committee on gas for
i ont
ing a then unknown concern, proposed
to go under the lowest bid, if the city
would readvertise for proposals. After
a deal of discussion and talk about fair
play not being shown outside bidders,
Mr. Parker put up certified check for
ST. 500 that he would do as he proposed,
and the bids were rejected and new
ones advertised for. The bids were
opened last night and were as follows:
American Development Company
Lamp with ID candle power burner,
ready for use, burner to remain proper
ty of the company, 691a cents per lamp
per month.
Carton Light and Power Company
Lamp with IA candle power burner,
ready for use, burner to remain proper
ty of company, IA cents per lamp per
month.
Edward B. Smith-Lamp with IA can
die power burner, ready for use, burner
to remain property of bidder, "A cents
per lamp per month.
Nicholas Feyen-Lamp with 14-can-
dle power burner, ready for use, burn
er to remain property Of bidder, 9412
cents per lamp per month.
The four bids also provided fOc ether
arrangements and for the rencva! Of
lamps and posts ard the furnishing of
lamps, street signs and other attach
lrents, but the only important feature
was in the cost of the lighting of the
lamps. There was no question but
that the American Development COM
pany was the lowest bidder and d. j.
Prendergast, representing the Carbon
Light and Power company, asked thai
the assembly take action on the aWIl d
at once. He requested this iE order
thar he might not have to remain in
the city for any considerable length Of
time. He intimated that there might
be some connection between the bid of
the American Development company
and that Of E. B. Smith, and suggested
that if he left the city before the con-
tract was awarded the lowest bidder
might forfeit the $500 check which SC
companied the bid and then the con-
tract would have to be given to the
next lowest bidder. The com oany ne
represented was the next lowest and In
case such action as he had suggested
followed and he was not present the
contract might be lost to his firm.
Corporation Attorney Markham was
of the opinion that the contract could
not be executed before Jan. l. Mr..
Johnson thought the point raised by
Mr.. Prendergast was a good one. but
hardly thought any such thing would
be attempted. He favored, however,
an early award of the contract by the
council and on his motion the assembly
adjourned to meet next Thursday
evening The bids We're referred to
the joint committee on gas for consid-
Grafton and Mr. Prendergast an
nounced that he would remain in the
city until the contract was awarded
Robert Seeger, manager for the
American Development company, seen
after the meeting, said there was real
ly no money in the bid submitted by
his company. In Chicago his firm was
getting $11.4S per year per lamp for
10 900 lamps, and the contract was for
two years. The trouble, he said, was
over forced competition and the same
firm which had bid $8.SS per lamp per
year in St. Paul, was getting $21 per
year per lamp in Philadelphia for II, 100
lamps, and had secured the contract
for the past nineteen years. The
American Development company, he
said, was a ST. Paul concern and was
bound to have the contract for light
ing the city, as against the forced COM
petition that had been attempted in
this case.
BID FOR GAS LIGHTING.
There was but one bid submitted for
lighting the city with gas and electric
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