The herald., 1898-12-04
TELEPHONES NEEDED
POLICE BOARD TO RECOMMEND
THEM FOR SIGNAL SYSTEM
whether TO BUY OR LEASE
Question Of Expense the Only Consid-
eartion-Weekly Financial Re-
port Of the City Auditor

AT last Tuesdays meeting Of the polic'
commissioners Mayor Snyder appointed
Commissioners Wyman, Preuss ard Glib
bon special committee to investigate tho
bid on the police telegraph apparatus to be
used in the signal system. The council had
submitted the bid of the Gamewell Fire
Alarm Telegraph company to the board, il
being the only one received. That company
agreed to furnish the following apparatus
for $9975: One standard four-circuit central
desk, one four-circuit storage battery
switchboard, one Wheatstone bridge and
ealvanometer, 200 cells chloride accumu.
lator type BIB storage battery, fifty p. O.
signal boxes.
Yesterday the special committee and
Electrician Francis met in the mayors Of
flee and discussed the proposal. So far as
the bid went it was satisfactory and the
board decided to recommend to the council
that it be accepted. In the discussion, how
ever, it developed that the system, on which
the bid was made was for signals only. With
the apparatus which the company would
furnish for $9975 it would be possible to
send in nine calls, but it would be mpossi
BILE to telephone, as no provision for the
additional instruments had been made in
the advertisement.
The 7. o. signal boxes are provided with
space for the telephone appliances, having
been designed for both signal and telephone
service. The boxes are provided with two
keyholes. One is in the center of the box,
and for it special keys have been made
which will be given to residents in the neigh
borhood Of the various boxes. With this
key civilian will be able to call for the pa
troll wagon, but as soon as the alarm is given
he will be unable to remove the key. In
this way the department will be able to tell
whose key was used in sending the alarm.
The other keyhole is for the officers, and
will be used to unlock the box. When the
box is opened the officer, by removing a
switch can send in nine calls and if a phone
was added they would be able to explain the
nature of the demand
The committee was very much in favor of
having the phone added, but will not recon-
mend this additional expense until it has
ascertalned what the cost will be. In this
connection there are two propositions One
Is for the city to purchase the telephone out
right and use the local telephone company's
wires, and another for the city to rent the
phones and service from the local telephone
company.
A rough estimate of the former plan gives
the expense of purchasing the material at
from Sl2 to $l5 each, or total of from 5000
to $3.50. Besides the purchase price, the
city will be compelled to keep the phones
in repair. Under the provision of the tele.
phone company's franchise, the city is al.
lowed to use the companys wires.
On the other hand, the proposition of
renting the additional instruments seemed
to meet with more favor by the commits.
sion, although no decision was reached, as It
was not known just what the COMPANY
would charge. A rough estimate placed the
figure at $3.50 to $3.50 a box for the year
In support of this proposition the argument
was advanced that the phones supplied
by the company would be of better type
than those which the city could buy IT
was also stated that the expense of keeping
them in order would be very large.
BY Tuesday it is expected the committee
will report the result of its investigation
and the board will without doubt recon.
mend to the council, in addition to the mat.
ter of accepting the company's bid. that
telephones be placed in each of the alarm
boxes.