Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-23
JENNINGS WILL TAKE A HAND
Proposes to Have the Lighting Question
Settled at Once.
CALLS COUNCIL MEETING FOR T0NlGH T
Fnvors Advertising for Bids for
Lighting for n Term of Five Years
without the Municipal own
ership Clause.
CALLS COUNCIL MEETING FOR TONIGHT

Mayor jennings has issued a call for a
| special meeting OF the city council tonight
| for the purpose of considering the advisable
| ity OF resembling the action taken at the ses-
sion Monday night in the matter of readver-
| tising for bids for lighting the city.
| At the meeting Monday night Alderman
Casper succeeded in having a motion car
ried that the city readvertiee for bids in
the same form that 1t had twice previously
done. On both former occasions the city had
issued three separate advertisements calling
for bids for the establishment of an electric
lighting plant according to plans and speci-
fications on file in the Office of the city clerk,
the proposition to provide for the ultimate
ownership by the municipality of the plant;
for bids for lighting the city for the term of
fifteen yeare. and for bids for lighting the
city for the terms OF Ave- ten and fifteen
years.
Bids under these several propositions have
been submitted to the council, but each time
the aldermen were unable to agree as to
which firm or company to let the contract
to and, failing to award the contract have
ordered all bids rejected and the advertise
ment again published. This has entailed
considerable expense and, as was shown at
the meeting last Monday, has proved unsat-
isfactory and devoid of results.
The aldermen, with the exception OF Cas-
per, all come to the conclusion that the pres
ent time is not favorable for many reasons
for the city to consider the proposition of
municipal ownerehip of an electric lighting
plant, and at last Monday nights session
Alderman Shubert suggested that this phase
OF the question be omitted from the city's
advertisement for bids. He was opposed by
Casper, and the latter's motion to have the
three advertisements published once more
prevailed.
Mayor Jennings, however, is anxious that
the form of advertisement should be re-
modelled. the one relating to municipal own
ership eliminated and one only published
calling for specific bids for lighting the city.
Mayor Jenninge, who will, 1t was said at the
city hall yesterday, have the support of the
majority Of the aldermen wants an adver-
tisement issued this time that will require
the bidders to state specifically in their bids
the number of lamps and kind of lamps they
propose furnishing. Heretofore the bids
have been more or less indefinite OF the
two last bids that were before the council.
that of Thomas Bowman failed to specify
the number of lacnps he would supply, while
his bid was on two kinds of lamps-open arc
lamps and closed alternating arc lamps. The
bid OF the Council Bluffs Gas and Electric
company wac on $50 lights at so much per
lamp per annum, but did not specify the
kind Of lamp
Jennings States His Position.
In talking of the matter yesterday Mayor
Jennings said: 81 desire to have this mat
ter settled and the contract for lighting the
city awarded. We have dilly- -dallied with
the matter too long and as long as bids are
called for under the form of advertisement
published heretofore l do not believe any
thing will be accomplished have called
special meeting of the council for Thursday
night and will then ask the aldermen to re-
scind their action of laet Monday night At
the same time I will suggest that a more
definite advertisement be published omit
ting all the cumbersome matter as to munich
pal ownership, etc. l am in favor of simply
advertising for bids to light the city for a
term or hve years, and no longer, all bids
TO state definitely the number and character
or lamps. This will avoid all chance of
qulobling and each bidder will have to stand
by the contents of his bid"
Ihomas Bowman is at present out of the
city, but it is understood that one of the
persons interested with him in his former
DID says he will not again enter the field.
owing to the opposition of many of the
aldermen to let contract for a longer term
lhan hve years none OF the Chicago firms 1t
is believed, will again submit bids for light !
ing the city, especially as there is no chance !
now OF the council entertaining any propo-
Sltlon Tor municipal ownership OF lighting |
plant.