Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-13
STREET LIGHTING
Recommendations Affecting Proposals
for Arc Lamps.
CHANGES IN TIE SPECIFICATIONS
Report of District Electrical En-
gineer to Commissioners.
BIDS IN EXCESS OF LIMIT

Mr.. Walter c. Allen. the District electri-
| cal engineer, has recommended to the
Commissioners that they notify the presi-
dent of the United States Electric Lighting
| Company that, while contract must be
| entered into by the District for the arc
lighting service for the coming fiscal year.
| certain changes in the specifications. as
| submitted by the company in the pro-
posals opened May 10, cannot be accepted.
The bid of the company, states Mr.. AL
| len, was S115.64 per lamp per annum,
price far In excess Of the maximum limit
| mentioned in the District appropriation
| act, $72, and cannot, he says, be enter
| tanned. The company, in submitting its
| bids, the Commissioners informed,
| made numerous changes. erasures and al
| terations in the specification to which, Mr.
Allen says. he cannot agree
Section of the specifications was crossed
out entirely. This relates to the inspection
and testing of the lamps by the District
and requires the company to furnish the
| necessary information regarding its cir
cults and such help at the station as may
| be necessary. 1t also provides that the
company shall not change the make or
style of lamps without the approval of the
Commissioners. These are regarded by
Mr.. Allen very important points, and
should, he believes. be included in the con-
tract. The testing of the lamps and cir
cults is not only desirable and necessary,
but is required, in his opinion, by the APP
| preparation act. and is a duty from which
| the department cannot be relieved Nor
should the lamps, in his judgment, be
changed without the approval of the Com
mlss1oners, as a less efficient or undesira-
| BILE kind might be selected by the COM
pany.
Change in Rating.
In section o of the specifications states
Mr.. Allen, the company changed the rating
| Of the lamps from 400 to 425 watts per
| lamp. The required number of watts, $50,
| represents, says Mr.. Allen, the amount of
electric energy or power consumed by an
arc lamp commonly known as one of 900
| actual or 1900 nominal candle power, the
| latter being a trade designat ton for a
standard make of lamp. This rating has
| been adopted by the American Institute of
Electrical Engineers and accepted by the
electrical fraternity generally being Il
| more definite and easily determined meas
| ure than the uncertain one of candle
power" AS the law requires each lamp
| to be of 1000 actual candle power, 40
watts. an amount less than 1000 candle
power. could not be permitted. The third
clause of this section, relating to switches,
cut-outs. etc, may not be necessary. as the
company, explains Mr.. Allen, would nat
! urally furnish such devices for it's own
| protection. The last clause of the section
relates still further to the testing and in
speeding of lamps and should be retained,
Mr.. Allen suggests.
An Objectionable feature In section IL,
relating to the character of globes. may be
omitted from the contract, thinks Mr.. AL
len. without loss or inconvenience to the
District. He believes also, that section Il
| may be omitted. as the contractor would
naturally use the carbons best suited to
the character of service to be rendered.
But he believes that section 10 shoulds be
retained in its entirety, as its omission
would prevent the Commissioners from eX-
tending the arc lighting service. a most
undesirable state of affairs, says Mr.. Allen.
since with the appropria ton for the next
fiscal year about $50 additional lamps can
be maintained.
Recommendation Approved.
The recommended atoms of Mr.. Allen have
| been approved by Commissioner Macfar-
| land. who has Immediate supervision of the
| street lighting department. and they will.
it Is understood. receive the approval Of
| his associates. Should the company, how
ever refuse to provide tho lamps at the
| maximum price named in the appropriation
bill, $72 per lamp per annum, the Commits
| sioners would. it is stated. be unable to
use during the coming fiscal year such
lamps for street lighting purposes. The
amount appropriated for these lights shall
not exceed $4,000, and it Is not believed
| that the company will. by insisting upon
price in excess of that allowed by law,
permit such a sum to be lost to 1t, and, in
| addition. subject its officers to punishment
| for misdemeanor This belief is based upon
act approved June 6, 1900. which reads as
| follows:
Provided, further. that hereafter the
Commissioners of the District of Columbia
are hereby authorized to graft permits for
| the repair. enlargement ard extension. I'M
der proper regulations, Of existing electric
| lighting conduits and in every conduit con-
structed or to be constructed under the
provisions of this paragraph, three ducts
shall be reserved for the of the United
States and the District of Columbia. and as
a condition for the right to conduits
heretofore built, to be built under the
provisions of this act the electric lighting
companies shall be required at all times to
| furnish to the public and to private con-
sumers in all parts of the District Of Co
| lumbia standard lights of not less
| than 1000 actual candle power. at rate
| not exceeding s72 per annum for each arc
| light; and on and after the LIST day of June,
| 1900, the maximum price of electric current
sold or furnished to any consumer in the
District of Columbia shall not exceed ten
cents per kdlowatt hour. Any COM
pany charging collecting an amount in
excess of the rates herein prescribed shall
be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and
shall pay to the District of Columbia the
sum of $50 for each and every offense. to
be collected as other fines now collect
ed in the District Of Columbia"