The San Francisco call., 1898-03-29
SUPERVISORS
 HOSTILE TO
 COMPETITION Show Their Hands in the Electric Light
 ing Contract. Dodqe's Efforts to Save Money Is Energy Use-
 lessly Expended. A Resolution Calling for Ger tain Information Sent to
 Committee.
FIGHTING TO SAVE TIME.
Smith and Britt Lead the Fight to Delay Action Until the Last
 Minute.

The first move toward securing com peting bids for lighting the streets and public buildings was made by super visor Dodge at the meeting Of the board, and was promptly met by smith and Britt, who adopted the only course left open to the monopoly and fought for delay. AS the Smith-Britt forces numbered seven, they succeeded Tn having the matter referred to a joint committee consisting of the Streets and and Street Lights committees.
 The subject was brought up in the form of the following resolution, pre- sented by Supervisor Dodge:
 WHEREAS, The Mutual Electric Light Company proposes to furnish the city with electric light for streets and public buildings at a saving to the city of at least $4O,OoO per an- mum under the present cost, which is about $12O,OOO per annum, provided they be now given the same facilities that are enjoyed by the present con- tractors; and whereas, said company will give a bond if necessary for S1OO,OOO to guarantee such saving, signed by such responsible citizens as Alvinza Hayward, D. o. Mills and P. B. Cornwall; and whereas, three months time is required by said company to erect necessary poles, etc.,
 Resolved, That sa1d company be invited to make a specific request Cor the privilege of erecting poles, desig- hating their number and location, and that the Street Lights Committee be instructed to invite proposals in such language that no company shall
 be excluded from competing; and that bids be invited forthwith for supplying artificial light for streets and public buildings for two years from and after August l, 1898.
 Resolved, That the Gas Inspector
 be instructed to forthwith furnish this board with a map showing the
 location of every gas and electric street lamp for which the city pays, designating them respectively as gas or electric.
 Dodge moved the adoption of the res | olution at once. He called attention to | the fact that the Mutual Electric Light | Company had guaranteed to save the city at least $40,000 a year under the | present cost, and spoke of the annual l deficit which neceSSitated cutting off | a portion of the lights each year and leaving some parts of the city in dark 1 ness for weeks. He believed that pri- vate individuals could get the same ser
 vice that the city gets at much less l cost.
 There was a rush between Smith and l 1 ing the same object in view-oppoSition i to the resolution in some form, they l hardly knew what, for it had been 1 sprung on them so suddenly there was
 no opportunity to form plan of de- fense Smith was recognized and, un- | able to pick any flaw in the terms of | the resolution, demanded that it be I referred to committee-any committee
 suited him, so that 1t could be held
 up until some plan could be formed to ] defeat 1t.
 Britt wanted it referred to the Street Committee. He launched forth into an | incoherent statement about giving
 away a franchise that would be worth
 more to the company than it agreed to
 save the city and that 1t could well
 afford to make the offer it did.
 Mayor Phelan called Britt's attention
 to the fact that the resolution did not l give anything away, but merely in- vited the company to make specific
 request for the privilege of erecting poles, designating their number and To- cation. This seemed to disconcert Britt | for a moment and he called for another
 reading of the resolution. which was l done.
 Dodge oprosed any delay. He said
 it was a matter that should be con-
 sidered by the full board and at once.
 Here was a company that offered to 1 save the city thousands of dollars if | &l~o ,vix 1 enjoyed by another, and without which
 the city was absolutely at the mercy | of a monopoly It would require three months for the opposition to place itself | in readiness to carry out the provisions of the contract and there was no time l to be lost. The resolution was plain and he could see no necessity for referring | 1t to a committee.
 Britt again talked in favor of send ing the resolution to the joint commit | tee. 1t would be necessary, he said. to have the interested parties appear and explain what they wanted and the joint committee could then make an intel 1igent report to the board. MT. Britt, had he really desired personal eX- planatio1i of what was wanted, could have called upon the representatives of the opposition comp ny who were in attendance at the meeting for that very purpose, and he ignored the ilain fea- ture of the resolution, which provided that the company should give that very information. What MT. Britt wanted was time, but whether he wanted time in which to hear from the company that is charging the city II cents per thousand volts for light, measured on meters that Q, 50 per cent fast. while it only charges some of it's private con- sumers 51a and cents, he did not make known.
 Lackmann urged that immediate ac- tion be taken in view of the shortness of time. If there was any chance to save the city such a sum the Super yisors were in duty bound to do SO Smith made another fight for delay by ignoring the terms of the resolution. as Britt had done, and claiming that the granting of permission to erect poles was a valuable privilege and should be taxed by the city. Dodge knocked this argument out by showing