Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1898-04-22
LIGHT CONTRACT
NOT YET MADE, But BIDS
TO BE ASKED FOR.
The New Lig' ts Not Acseptef,
Owing to the Character of the
Contr-c ct W til the Light, Heat
al d Power Company-Light Bill
to Be Reduced.

Council met in adjourned session last
night 10 consider what should be done
regarding the renewal of the contraet
for the little interme date lights to take
the place of the naphtha lamps that
glimmer and blink here and there In
the suburbs and about the city.
There were under consideration by
the committee on lights, two bids. that
of the Sun Napor Street Lighting ccm
pany of Canton for three year con
tract, moonlight schedule, at $25 per
light, for the Welsbach street lights of
guaranteed eighty candle power each.
and the bid of the Be company, an
offshoot of the old Sun Vapor. for fur
nishing first class naphtha lamps for
$l4 So each, on moonlight schedule.
The council, on motion of Mr..
Whelan. went into executive SIS
sion" as a committee of the whole and
considered the matter from every visi-
BILE standpoint. The city now has &c
gas lamps for which she has no con-
tract, paying $40 each, or ST. 800; 81
Daphtha lamps. at SIS each, or ST. $50:
a total of So 700 for interme-
date lights. This in addition to the regu-
lation SIC 200 annually paid for electric
lights makes considerable light bill,
to say nothing of the bills for gas
lights at the public buildings-fire en-
CINE houses, city hall, etc. The aim
of the council is if possible to cut
down that expense, and there is not
one or the fourteen men who would
vote one dollar raise on the bill Tn
discussion last night was confined to
the plans for getting better service out
OF the present lot of money expended,
or for actually reducing the expenses.
The latter was the principal considera-
ton. 1t was discussed that, as the
of the city with the Light,
Heat and Power company specifically
sails for $50 are lamps, that number
,ould not be reduced and therefore it
vas not advisable to consider the more
expensive Welsbach light, as it had
been looked upon favorably as a pos
ib.e displacer of 30 of the
10 arc lamps. 1t was then
uggested by Mr.. GILLIAN of
he light committee, that the gas lamps
re dispensed with. and that in addition
o the 50 naptha lamps now in use as
Intermediate lights, 66 more be added
nd a bid received for all, from some
maker of naptha lamps at the low
ates. This suggestion was taken to
cry kindly by most of the other coun-
only Mr., Hegger Directing on
he ground that the gas lamas ware |
much more sRectuai than the naptha !
lghts.
The mayor then suggested that the
ity clerk write to the Sun Vapor
street Light company and to the Best |
'treet Lighting company, asking
hem to submit bids for furnishing
ght from 100 to 200 in number, on a
loonllght schedule, for three, FIVE or
* years. The six year idea was sug-
ested by Mr.. Gillian as Mr.. Peterson
al thought It might be an advantage.
, have the lesser contract expire on or
bout the same date as the expiration
tn contract of the Light, Heat &
over company. This was incor-
GRATED in a motion by Mr.. Whelan.
no also suggested that the Light.
leat x Power company be
$50 q en- an opportunity to
id for tie furnishing O.: gas
ghfs. The motions We're passed aud
lopted as the action of the committee
the whole. 1t was also brought ont
lat the city owns a lot of serviceable
on posts that might we'll be taken
to consideration in making a new
,ntract.
The committee of the whole then
ose and reported back to council.
g report being adopted as the sense
council. Mr.. Brooks, chairman of :
e committee of the whole, presented
e report. The city clerk is thereby I
to ask the three companies
entloned for bids on furnishing the a
term ediate lights, the bids to be in c
d opened BY April 80 r
1t had been suggested in committee. t
Mr.. Gibbs, that the city purchase '
lights outright, put them upon the Q
Us own poles and employ the neces- +
~ labor 10 keep them in order. This r
alter will be investigated by the
uncilmen. =
the contract be awarded to
y company for naphtha lights the
will be held rigidly to the
ntraet for keeping the lamps in
Ter. 1t was the opinion of the coun- I
men that the city had been shame !
ly treated in the neglect of the
ups under the old eonfro..t