The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-22
ONLY FOR GASOLINE
BUT ONE OF THE CITY LIGHTING
CONTRACTS AWARDED
LAST NIGHT
GAS CoMPANY's AMENDMENTS

Its Suggested Changes in the Speci-
ficatiOns for Lighting the Streets
Were COncurred In and New Bids
Advertised FOr-The Delegations
From the Commercial Club and
WOman's Civic League Not Heard.
Delegations from the Commercial club
and the Woman's Civic league attended
the meeting of the board of aldermen last
evening. The Commercial club delegation
was ready to talk on market site being
selected, and the delegation from the
Civic league were prepared to urge the
adoption of the Ohage garbage plan. But
neither delegation was heard
The report of the special committee rec
ommending the selection of the block
bounded by Chestnut, Eagle, Franklin and
Exchange streets as a market site was
referred to the committee on streets. Aid.
Shepard made the motion, stating that
owing to the absence of Aid Donahower
it would be advisable not to take action
He requested, however, that a delegation
from the Commercial club be heard before
l1lS report WAS IdlQ over.
Aid Sanborn moved to refer the report
to the committee on streets, supplement
ing his motion with the remark that the
delegation could be heard when the com
mittee met. The motion to refer was
carried by a vote of to 2, Aids. Reeves
and Shepard voting against it.
On motion of Aid. Murphy the resolu-
ton passed by the assembly directing that
$4,000 be placed in the tax budget. and
the health Department be given charge of
the garbage, was taken up This, Aid
Murphy said, would allow those present,
who desired to be heard, an opportunity.
AS soon as the resolution had been read,
however, Aid. @Sanborn moved TO. refer it
10 the committee on streets. which was
agreed to by a unanimous vote. 1t was
hfteen minutes after this before the ladies
realized they would not have an oppor-
tunity to be heard, and after a whispered
conference they withdrew.
Inc board adopted specifications for gas
ana electric lighting after some discus
sion The specifications reported by the
Joint council committee on streets did not
suit the gas company as Attorney Carl
Taylor explained They were different
from those" on which the company had
pld Tor the past five or six years, and
attempted to read in as a part a section
from the charter giving the council and
the board OF public works the right to
reduce the minimum number of lamps
from 1000, which had been agreed to by
the committee and the company. This
the company desired changed, so that the
minimum would be 1000, and the maxi
mum $500. The clause which in nre-
Vlous years, had always been inserted in
the contract providing that the company
dld not waive its. rights, to collect interest
On gas mains and posts, was not in the
specifications, and for fear of 'any en-
tanglement, owing to the recent decision
or the supreme court, the company want
ed this clause placed In the specifications.
Assistant Corporation Attorney Griggs
explained that this clause had never been
in the specifications before, but somehow
IL always managed to be inserted in the
contract. Unless 1t was. placed in the
Spec1ncauonS this year. it would not be
made part OF the contract. Mr. Griggs
advised that it would be to the city's in
terests not to place the clause in the
specifications.
Continuing, Mr.. Taylor said the COM
pany also Objected to the electric lighting
specifications in that they allowed the
board of public works to reduce the num-
Der of arc. lights below 1876, the number
now in service. What the-comDany want
ed was the minimum fixed at 395, and
the maximum at AIS. In conclusion. Mr..
Taylor presented amendments covering
the points mentioned, and urged that
they be adopted. Aid. Knauft objected.
Aid. Sanborn favored the amendments
presented by the gas company. They
were the same as those of the past five
or six years and1Were not Objectionable
Assistant Corporation Attorney Griggs
believed it was HIS duty to inform the
council that If the specifications were
amended as suggested by the company
the city would be paying ST per lamp
for it's gas instead ofa$23., The clause
allowing "a for each removal, under the
plan adopted by the company, practically
increased the price from $23 to $27, as.
during the past year, but four lamps had
been ordered removed by the council, and
yet the company had a bill now before
the board of public works amounting to
$2,0S4, for removals The plan of the
company was, whenever a. lamp was or
dered, to take one of the posts which had
been discontinued and put 1t in and then
charge for a removal. The absence Of
the clauses which the company desired
inserted had been left out of the specifica-
items at the advice of the legal depart
ment
Aid. Knauft made a stirring speech
against changing the specifications Thew
nad Deen prepared by the board of pub
lie works at the instance of the legal de-
partment to protect the city's interest
! 1t was preposterous on the part of the
| gas company to ask to have clauses in
serted which@sthe legal department ad-
! vised should not be in. The fact that the
company was endeaVoring to have modi-
fications made was suspicious, and he
for one would not vote for any change.
Aid. Sanborn. characterized the remarks
of Aid. Knauft as a good stump speech
| for the gallery, but said practically it did
! not amount to shucks. The gas company
was the only firm which could tight the
| city, either with gas or electric lights,
! and the city must make the best figure it
| could Bids could be rejected after they
were presented, If the council desired,
and the city lighted by gasoline or moon
| light.
! In reply to a question, Mr.. Griggs stated
that the gas company was obliged to bid
| for lighting the city with gas, as it had
| an exclusive franchise, and in case It re-
| fused to bid the franchise could. be taken
! away.
The motion of Aid Sanborn to adont
| the amendments presented by the com
| pany was carried vote OFFS to 9 Aids.
| Krauft and Blomquist voting in the mega
| tive. The resolution directing the citv
! clerk to advertise for bids, to be opened
| Dec. Z, was then carried by the same vote.
The contract for lighting the gasoline
lamps OF the city was awarded to the
| TWO nave Wednesday