The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-08
FRANCHISES FOR ATKINSON.
COMMITTEE REPORTS N FAVOR OF
GRANTING THEM.

But There Is Talk of an Ordinance
by which Atlanta Expects to share
in street Railroad Receipts-Con-
sOIidated Said to he Back of This
Move-AtIanta's Electric Lighting
system Brought Into the street
Railroad Fight.
Atlanta, Aug. AT the meeting Of the
City Council this afternoon the committee
on electric railways made a report which
was favorable TO granting the franchises
asked for by Mr.. Atkinson's company, me
Consolidated rival.
While expressing themselves in favor Of
making these grants, however, the commit
tee presented an outline Of an ordinance
under which the city will get percentage
Of the gross receipts Of these and other new
lines of street railway.
This ordinance has not been completed
and was referred back to the committee
for perfection.
The efforts Of the committee viii be direct
ed towards so constructing it that ii will
bring the Consolidated under the gross per
centage arrangement also.
of course if a percentage Of receipts was
required Of the new company while the
Consolidated paid nothing for its fran
chises. the new company would be at
great disadvantage, hence Mr.. Atkinson
and his associates are not ready TO tay
that they will build the proposed new sys-
TEN under such a handicap The passage
of such an ordinance would therefore be a
victory for Hurt and his associates, and
for that reason there is in prospect the
hardest sort of a fight over it, unless it can
be so framed as to put all the companies on
the same footing. which does not seem pos
sible under the grants that have been
made TO the old companies.
AtIanta's Electric Lights.
The electric light committee of the City
Council to-day issued a requirement that
the successful bidder for the city lighting
should file a bond for $4,000 to carry out
the contract This viii cause a delay of
two weeks as The lowest bidder, Mir. r. p
Ansley, said he would have to communi-
cate with his associates before he could
answer positively, and II. M. Atkinson of
the Georgia Electric Light Company was
the only other bidder.
The bids of the competing companies
were:
z. p. Ansley, arc lights, one year, $50 1872
EACH three years, so each, per year; nve
years $50; incandescent lights one year
1913 80 1-3; three years, SIS; five years, $23.
Georgia Electric Light Company: For
are fights one year. SS5 each; three years,
$S3 50; five years, $50. Incandescent lights,
one year. $50; three years, $33 70, five years,
So 30.
WOOdruf's Deep Interest.
Mr.. Atkinson said Mr.. Ansley could not
furnish the lights at his figure and thought
he had miscalcuated, Hnd was perfectly
willing to give him time to file his bond.
The committee postponed action until Mr..
Ansley could speak authortatively If he
gives the bond he viii get the contract, as
the present temper of the committee is
to make the best deal possible.
The Consolidated which threatened to
build an electric plant several months ago
made no bid, though its president, Mr..
Woodruff, was on hand unIs morning.
Does Mr.. Woodruff's deep interest in the
disposition of the bids indicate that his
| associates may be behind Mr.. Ansey 5
is the question that presents itself in
view of the mixed state of affairs con-
corning the lighting and street railway
situation in Atlanta just now That may
or may not account for his intense inter
est in the outcome of the matter.