The evening times., 1899-04-28
NAPHTHA STREET LAMP BIDS.
l.. $. Nicolai's Conference With En-
EInecr Commissioner RcRch.


Lawrence 6. Nicolai, and his attorney,
W. C. Dodge, had a conference with En-
gineer Commissioner Beach this morning
relative TO a modification of specifications
for proposals for naphtha street lighting
in the District of Columbia during the
year beginning July next There are now
l.274 naphtha lamps in the District, each
of which is required TO be maintained with
candle power Of not less than sixteen
Each lamp burns an average of 3. 3.942 hours
per year according to schedules furnished
by the Engineer Commissioner The pres
ent contractor is the Pennsylvania Globe
Gaslight Company. of Philadelphia, which
has been furnishing the naphtha lights to
the District for five years.
In explaining the matter to Captain
Beach, Mr.. Dodge read numerous letters
from various firms which tended to show
that the naphtha lamps could not, owing
to trade conditions. be furnished within
several months. He said that his object
In doing this was to prove that 1t would
DE impossible for prospective bidder to
submit proposal. under the specification
which requires the bidder to furnish the
naphtha lanterns
Another specification made il possible
Tor the bidder to take the contract without
furnishing the lamps. Mr.. Dodge said that
although this might be possible he thought
II impossible to furnish lamps before July
j. owing TO the inability of various con-
Germs to fill orders on account of trade
conditions. He thought that no single lid
der could comply with the specifications
In reply to a query Captain Beach said
that he understood that Mr.. Nicolai was a
prospective bidder on the work. and as
such he thought he was not entitled to any
information not given other bidders. For
this reason, he declined to explain how the
District would have the work done
Mr.. Dodge suggested. the advisability of
the purchase OF all existing lamps by the
Distrioe. He said the District asked pros
pective bidders to deposit 81 900 and-give
heavy bonds, and that when the time came
found 1t impossible for them to install
the lamps in time. owing to the late hour
at which bids were advertised. Were the
lamps owned by the District he maintained
that any responsible bidder could always
be ready to fulfill his contract when the
time arrived. Under this arrangement and
with fair competition, he maintained. the
taxpayers Of the District might be saved
from 81, ,000 to $4,000. No plan, stated Mr.
Dodge, would place the District SO much
at the mercy OF the contractors as to allow
those contractors to run their own lamps,
because the contractor who was successful
one year might always have an advantage
over new bidders. as he would always have
his lamps installed and would not have to
put I'D with the delay that other contrac-
tors, who might do the work cheaper, had
to face. -f
Captain Beach said that he would not
discuss the question Of municipal owner
ship of naphtha lamps. The failure OF the
District to purchase its own lamps, he said.
was mistake of his predecessors and not
his. Mr.. Dodge then stated that he did
not think the field was open for bidders.
He thought that, while a prospective bid
der might desire to furnish lamps. he could
not do SO within the time limit. Condi-
tions, he said,- were such that things could
not be otherwise. This condition was
brought about the delay in advertising for
bids. Mr.. Dodge then referred to the time
four years ago when Nicolai Bros. had
the contract for furnishing naphtha lamps.
He said that an effort had been made to
prevent them complying with the provi-
sions Of their contract on the claim that
they were infringing on patents. The at
tempt had failed because the patents on
the burners had expired years before.
In conclusion, Captain Beach said that
an effort would be made to treat all bid
ders fairly. He said that if any bidder
found that trade conditions made It i'm
possible to furnish lamps within the speci-
fed time, statement to that effect might
be submitted with the bid and this state
ment would be duly considered by the
commissioners. He also said that the