The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-11-26

80 NAY sE REJEcTED.
ue1Dean Aaninistratiens
S. 80 ensetoA . Great saving In
ost, but TIE Present Council
Inn1st en s4iIl Further
Sc el1oo - The Gas People
1900 sAe Eieetrie Companies.

uuo1 u8nI over tue s1sSs mss
ooa4ract. which begins next week
- ne bids called for BY the board OF
~ works are to be opened, will sur
20 n past affairs Of its kind and will be
n the greatest municipal battles that
HI authorities have INDUCED In for
Teass. The city council viii insist
80 lights and better lights, and 1t -
1fA& unless the local companies con-
Is xfye the desired service an effort
~ made 70 light the city without the
~ me focai companies. TrIe. the city
G .tcached the limit of the indebtedness
80 - law and cannot go further into
H - secure . plant Of its own. but the
oouncil, aided by the other city off,
- Wlll try to make some deal whereby
cxn escape payment OF . greater
r. an the service Ii actually worth.
e present the Union Electric Company
q fhe Rainier Power Electric Com
have = join. contract for lighting the
This contract will expire January ].
= 6etwcen nav and that time the city Is
0Qped n let tho new contract The
4tA IL public works Is dcsignacd In the
t3ef a. the body that shall make the
(efd. bsit II IL the custom Of the board
4ef1g the bids to the city council. which
0E3ee full charge Of the entire matter
$ ~ HApubican administration OF this city
n already brought about marvellous re-
4c4inu N the cost Of lighting the city
k0re the administration OF Byron Phelps
= - city paid over $4,000 annually for its
tt10t lights. The service was not any
q <tttS than Il IL today. There may no, be
= nanny light as there were then. but II
m 1solAted by members OF the council that
HefN has been no material change In the
e1Ntce. AZ present the city's lights cost
&bout 1880. or less than one-half what
Saey ueed to cost But the city Is not
4t1a4cd. The present system Is unsatis-
Il efory. Every city official says that a
1y does not go by that there Is not a
sslempaaint against the system registered at
hall by some citizen.
lera are some OF the objections that the
1(6l officials say they make against the
|x1ent system;
H lights are not what they should be In
der to properly illuminate the city.
1hey cost the city almost double what
eAey should.
They arc not nor have they ever been
that lilo companies promised they should
81 when lights are out OF order the COM
niies at times allow days to go by with
u Hi1t repairing them
This year Will. 1t Is believed by he city
& otIcials. bring about the change that they
shave 20 long fought for In past years the
gtreet lighting matter was not taken up In
time to give the officials the chance they
leeirsd TO Investigate. This year IL will ne
i8erent. Then. too. past years have NOT
4 Witnessed any particular competition. Las,
t0ar the Union Electric Company had
sa1opae little opposition. but In the end a
1napfomisc was effected by that company
xNn6 the Rainier company agreeing To do
tbs lighting for much less than 1t cost In
s. 6tevious years. This year Samuel HIN If
s. Minneapolis. who is son-in-iaw 81
3Ames J. Hin. Will be In the fight. He Is
one OF the big men OF the Seattle Gas &
h A1e&StI1u NOuIdu}. Hstt tottftaHS viii. III
II expected figure in the coming contest
Thu company has had man at work get
1iug AZ the details Of the plans and specit
Il cations on file at city hall. As result
I the company will compete for the contract
~ an advertisement II has strung Madison
street and Terry avenue and other parts
~ the city with what might he termed
] sample copies OF the weishach light, The
llght - well rooted In and is mounted on
8 white pole. and in It's present conditioF
<ufmiehes nne Illumination. Aided some
THAT ~ the electric lights that are seat
1HFed along the street. Madison each nigh
N almost as high. as day. II Is nation
alI@ admitted fact that the electric igA
y 1onpanles have at las; found something q
Il s eomp<tftcr IN the welshach lIghs. he
tore the latter came into existence In
4 <lectric Hight companies had things tibet
own way. but with the new competitor Il
monopoly win not be as great.
but tho electric light companies by u
means take a back seat. When they wis
TO do DO they can furnish light that eS