Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-18
AS TO MUNICIPAL LIGHTING.
Council Is Criticised for Not COming q
to Some Kind of Agreement.

Council Is Criticised for Not Coming
to Some Kind of Agreement.
The manner in which the city council has
delayed in taking some action with reference
to the city lighting and the fact that the
meeting of that body slated for Saturday
night to open the bids failed for want of a
quorum, has invited considerable criticism
and comment. The meeting was not spe-
cially called one, but at the previous ses-
sion the alderman decided to adjourn to
Saturday night for the express purpose OF
opening the bids on furnishing the city with
electric light, which had to be in the hands
of the city clerk by noon of that day.
What purpose the alderman who failed to
appear at the meeting had in absenting
themselves is not known and can only be
surmised and for this reason has caused
more or less talk on the streets. One alder
man, who was at the city hall in time for
the meeting, was called away by message
over the telephone and before leaving he
failed to give an explanation for his sudden
departure. Another alderman got as far as
the corner OF the street on his way to the
city building where he was met by a per-
son interested in one Of the bids that had
been filed The alderman in question, got
no further than the corner and failed to
appear at the city hall. II he had put in
an appearance at that time there would
have been a quorum.
Another alderman went to the city hall
after the meeting had been adjourned and
two of the city fathers, who had been on
time, had left for their homes This alder
man excused his failure to be on time by
stating that he had been detained by bust
ness and expressed himself as much sur
prised that the session had been called off
for want CT a quorum.
The general understanding Is that it had
been arranged that there should be not
enough aldermen present to hold meeting.
One OF the Chicago bidders Is credited with
telling certain official during the after
noon of Saturday that he had been informed
there would be no meeting. local real
estate dealer interested in one OF the bids
filed is also reported to have made the
statement early that evening that there
would be no meeting Another person also
interested In one OF the bids, while
discussing the latter at the city hall that
night after the meeting had been adjourned,
! remarked with a wink that Saturday night
was a bad night for a meeting of the city
council.
Mayor Jennings is annoyed at the failure
Of the council to get together and open the
!
the matter has already been too long dilly-
dallied with. The want of a quorum he
said yesterday, was thing that he failed to
understand. For his part he said, he could
not see what advantage could accrue to any
OF the bidders or interested parties by post
ponng the opening CT the bids, unless that
it might be that one of the bidders was
afraid he had bid too low and wanted the
delay in order that he might in the mean.
: time try to find out what the other bids
! were that he could withdraw his bid II
he found his was altogether too low,
One bidder when seen Yesterday said he
! doubted very much If the city could hold
any of the bidders now to their bids The
bids according to the advertisement had
/ to be in the nands of the city clerk by noon
OF Saturday and this bidder stated that he
! believed il was the duty of the council to
have met at that hour and opened the bids
/ when the clock struck the hour ~ twelve.
] The failure OF the council to mcpi md open
the bids at noon or even that night, leaves
a chance for fraud TO be perpo rated. al
though the bidder said he did not for a
moment believe any official connected with
the city would be guilty Of such, He said
however, that it left an opportunity for
crooked work and II any bidder whose bid
might be accepted wanted to pull out and
4 not accept the contract, ne was OF the opln
ion that the city could not possibly hold
him to 1t or make him forfeit his 81 900
| check put up as guaranty OF good faith,
! It was etated yesterday that opposition to
/ the council entertaining the bid OF ]. P.
Miller & Co. OF Chicago would be made. The
! bid was received by mail and did not reach
the city clerk until after 12 o'clock. The
! postmark on the envelope shows that It was
mailed in Council Bluffs. II bore a special
delivery stamp and City Clerk Phillips
states he did not receive it until two min
utes after the noon hour II is believed the
bid was posted in this city by a representa- =
| tive OF the Chicago electric supply firm at
present in the city.
Tbs council is slated to meet tonight 10