The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-17
TALK OF ELECTRIC LIGHTING.
COUNCIL WILL GIVE THE SUBJECT
FURTHER ATTENTION.

Alderman Hamilton Explains why
He Withdrew the Bid of the Brush
Electric Light and Power
COmpany-WnI Cost the COM
pany $4,000 to Put i'm the
Necessary Apparatus to Fur
nish the City 500 Lights, He Says.
Willing to Make Low Figure For
Long Term COntract-AIdermen
in Doubt About the Matter-SOme
of Them Believe the City Can Be
Well Lighted by Its own Plant at
Less Cost Than by Any other Plan.
The city will have to readvertise for bids
for another electric lighting contract, the
bid by the Brush Electric Light and Power
Company having been Withdrawn. The
bid by President Hamilton was for terms
OF one, three, five and ten years. The
bids for one, three and five years are said
to have been practically the same as the
rates the city is now paying for lighting,
while that for ten years IS said TO have
been considerably lower.
When Mr.. Hamilton found that
council was not inclined to take immediate
action, he withdrew the bids, which leaves
the company free to make such bids as it
pleases when the lighting contract is again
advertised. The matter was thoroughly
discussed in the committee of the whole,
but this will not prevent it from coming
up again for further discussion.
Mr.. Hamilton said yesterday that he did
not think it would have been fair to the
Brush Company to allow its bid to stand
Enacted upon, as it would simply be a
mark for other possible competitors.
Il don't suppose that 1 will get credit
for any fairness or impartiality in this
said
time, l stand ready to do what is best for
the interests of the city in the matter AS
told the members of council in the COM
mittee, 1 am ready to vote for the lowest
bidder for the work. provided it can give
bond that the plant furnished will be up
to its guarantee and that the cost of OPP
Grafton will be such that the city will
cure its lights at as low figure as is
named in the estimate, or any much lower
figure, both interest and depreciation be-
ing considered. The Brush Company could
not make bid for furnishing
the city with 500 lights for one year for the
simple reason that the present supply is
about up to the limit of cur capacity. To
furnish $50 lights we should have to go to
an expense of about $4,000 for new appar-
atus, consequently we could not make a
low bid on this number of lights for short
term, as in the case the city should after
wards put up a lighting plant of its own,
our investment would be a loss to us. BY
taking the contract for a long term we
could afford to furnish lights at much
lower rate per light than at present"
Mr.. Hamilton said he preferred not to
give out the figures of the bid which he
Withdrew after its consideration by the
committee of the whole.
L am familiar with the cost of cleo
trio lighting machinery and the cost of
operating the same" he said, land l am
satisfied that first-class plant cannot
be secured or operated at the figures
which some of the aldermen have in
mind"
The question whether the city shall
have a lighting plant of it's own or not
is not settled yet Some of the members
of the board are still figuring on il and
the matter viii be given further consider
alton. The difference between the bids
of the General Electric Company and the
Fort Wayne corporation tended to queer
the business. Had both companies made
high bids the matter would have been
settled adversely, or had both made low
bids, 1t is more than likely that the de-
cision would have been in favor of the
plant. The General Electric Company.
which made the high bid, is well
known, while the Fort Wayne corporation
which made the low bid, is not quite so
well known in this section.
THE city is now paying something over
$4,000 a year for electric lights" said
member of the council yesterday. Jack
sOnvile is getting its lights for nothing
by doing both commercial and municipal
lighting. We do not propose to do COM
mercial lighting, and expect to pay fair
price for lights. To get the lights we need
under the present system viii cost con-
siderably more than we are paying now
Suppose an electric light plant should
cost us $780, OO0, which is an outside figure
and that the cost of operation, including
interest and depreciation. should be $4,000
a year, which is also an outside figure.
This plant would provide for all the lights
ty years, and the best part of it is that the
the case at present. At the end of ten
would have paid out altogether, including
the first cost of plant 100000 Under the
present system We shall pay out fully $780,
600 for lights in the next ten years will
have nothing to show for it
at the end of that time
and will not have had the satisfaction
of having a well-lighted city These are
outside figures Now, l am satisfied that
the plant can be built for $75, 900, probably
less and that the cost of operation will
be a great deal less than $4,000, probably
not exceeding $4,000, and best of all, the
city would be well lighted
The city can continue It's present ar
rangement with the Brush company in
definitely. which gives the aldermen
plenty of time TO consider the subject.
KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAs OFFICERS.