The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-06-27
PAY THE HIGH PRICE
POLICE COMMITTEE WANTS TO
MAKE THE CITY SPEND THE
HIGHEST AMOUNT
FOR POLICE ALARM SYSTEM
the Purchase OF the
Auto-EIectric Company, Although
Funds Are Scarce and 1t Costs
$4,000 More Than the Gamewell
What the Councilmen Say and
How They Voted.

The police committees from the assem-
bly, and board Of aldermen, by vote OF
to 8. last evening recommended the &C
ceptance of the bid of the Auto Electric
company, of New York for furnishing
the city with a National police alarm
system, at a cost of .$2S. 100,
The Gamewell Fire Alarm Telegraph
company offered to put in one of its sys-
TENS for s2S,S75 and allow the city $500
for the. system now in use by the city.
but only three Of the members of the
committee favored recommending the ac-
ceptance of the bid of this company.
Supt. King, of the police alarm system
and Assistant Electrical Inspector Var
num-, of the fire department, reported on
the specifications of the three bidders
that each system was complete, but sug-
gested explanations from the representa-
tiVes of the three companies.
Banks Cregier. of the Municipal Signal
system, of Chicago. was not present at
the meeting. but Frank Slower, of the
Gamewell company, and L. ]. Auer-
bacher, of the Auto-Electric company
gave such information as was desired
by the experts and the committee re-
garding their bids
Chief Goss insisted that the depart
ment should have a new system, as the
present one was worse than nothing.
Assemblyman Albrecht raised the point
that there were no funds on hand from
which to pay for the new system if one
was recommended and ordered He had
been so advised by Comptroller McCardy.
Kidding
had agreed to take half of the amount Of
the purchase and wait for the other half.
He was sure there would be a surplus of
$4,000 in the police fund at the end of the
year.
Assemblyman Benson said, after an in
terview with the legal department., he
could say that any amount of money
needed to purchase new system could
be expended from the police fund This
could be done whether the members of
the department were paid their salaries
for the last two months of the year or
not.
Aid. Bell was Of the opinion that II the
council ordered the purchase of a new
system there would be found a way to
pay for it,
Chief Goss stated that If all the balance
from the police department. fund was not
turned into the sinking fund each year
by the comptroller there would be money
on ndHQ 10 pay LOT the SYSTEM he called
attention to the fact that the comptroller
could find enough money to allow the
fire department to purchase a new alarm
system, but the police department was
always shy.
Aid. Donahower urged that the recon-
mendation of some system be decided by
the committee at once. There was no
need of acting in the matters as the
council had in the market site question,
and allow the chamber Of commerce or
the Commercial club to decide what the
council should do. He moved that q vote
be taken on the recommendation of a
system.
Assemblyman Benson wanted a ballot
taken on the question. Assemb1ynan
Craig advised that the names of the
members Of the committee be called and
this was agreed to.
Those voting for the Auto-Electric sys-
tenn were Aids. Allard, Donahower, Bell
and Murphy and Assemblymen Thomp-
son and Warner.
The Gamewell company's bid received
the support of Aid. Blomquist and As
semblymen Craig and Benson. Assem-
blyman Albrecht refused to vote, claim
ing that there was no fund from which
to pay for a new system, even should
the council order one.
The chairmen of the committees will
report to the respective bodies the &C.
ton taken by the joint committee.