Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-15
friends and the members OF the Sanitary Re-
lief commission.
CASPER ON ELECTRIC LIGHTING.
Alderman Addresses Letter 10 the
Newspapers on the Subject

Alderman Addresses Letter 10 the
Newspapers on the subject.
Considerable speculation is INDUCED in as
to who the parties are who are associated
with Ex xPostmaster Thomas Bowman in his
proposition to supply the city with electric
lighting. Mr.. Bowman at this time refuses
to give any information. The general under
standing is that L. A. Wickham, the con-
tractor, and j. p. Greenshields the real es-
tate agent both of this city, are interested
in the bid but who the financial hackers
are cannot be learned. 1t has been suggested
that Samuel insult, president of the Chicago
Edison company, which controls the electric
lighting of the Windy City, is back of the
bid, but so far this cannot be confirmed. 1t
is also said that a member OF an old local
banking concern is one of the financial sup
porters.
The bids of the local company and Thomas
Bowman are the only two now before the
city council and 1t will meet Monday night
to further consider them. Alderman Casper,
who from the start has expressed himself
as being unalterably opposed to renewing
the contract at any price with the local COM
pany, has addressed a lengthy communica-
tion to the local newspapers in which he
appears as the advocate Of letting the con-
tract to Bowman. The communication Is as
follows:
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Nov. 14.-To the Cti-
zens and Taxpayers: l wish to call atten-
ton to some points in regard to the mat
ter of electric lighting that are of inter-
est to all users of either gas or. electric
by. the city council two propositions for
| lighting the city, one by the present com
pany and one by new, party which will.
| If accepted, necessitate their building a new
plant and thus bring competition in electric
lighting. In order to get this new plant the
| city must award the contract for the city
| lighting to the DartipS for five wears,
In order for them to carry out the contract
they must have a franchise, which must be
| voted them by the people. Personally am
| in favor of granting them the contract,
| their bid being the lowest. providing. they
will ask for franchise fixing the price of
electric lights for commercial use at the
following prices:
| Thirty cents per month for each mean
descent light, or with meter rates of cents
per 1000 watts.
Commercial arc lights, Lights burned to to
m Per per monfh EhS Burned to II Il p
M, 81 per month; lamps burned to y p. m,
IS per month; lights burned all night, 80
! service, which will do away with the OBJ
| lection so many have to electric lights un..
der our present service, the inahiiity, t,,Da oa
| where necessary. | would also insist upon
! the wires being of ample size to carry all
the current necessary to keep. the lamps
| burning to the full capacity. The current
| loses by friction, so that when a small wire
is used consumers do not get the light they
At the prices 1 have given above lights
! furnished by latest improved electrical ma
! are equivalent, to gas at q cents per l,O0o
/ feet and in order to compete with the new
company the present Gas and Electrie Gom
| reduce their present prices for gas. And
thus, by awarding the contract for city
! lighting to the new parties we bring com com
monthly bills of every user of either gas or
! electricity and the saving to our our citizens citizens
will be more annually than the amount
| paid by the city under its contract.
/ am personally strongly in favor of mu-
ncipal owne rship, but at the present time
the conditions and circumstances are such
| as to render it very difficult to accomplish,
and the proposition made by Thomas Bow.
| man. being lower than the other bid we
| have and with the franchise granted them
properly safeguarded | am in favor OF
granting him the contract for the city light
! ing because of the resulting benefits to our
, citizens by having competition, which we
would lose If the contract were granted to
| the old company at the same or even d
| lower price.
! Also the granting of the contract to the
new company insures the purchase of real
estate the erection of good brick build
! ing, the adding of new taxable property,
the employment of Council Bluffs LABOR % in in
| labor in operation of the plant after con-
struction The new company will also fur
nish power for motors, enabling small fac
tories to start up and thus assist in the up
building of our city.
At the present time the gas and electro
company and it is immaterial to them
which is used. If the citizens agree with
me in the views have stated above an
expression of such agreement by them
| would be of material assistance in accom-
| plshng saving to all users of gas or
! electric lights. l.. A. CASPER.
| Bowman's bid was $40 per light for open
or direct current lamps per year and $7o
for closed or alternating current lamps. In
his bid the number OF lamps was not speci-
fed The local company bid $73 per light
for $50 lights, the style OF lamp, as Manager
Nichols informed the council, to be selected
by the city.