The evening times., 1900-06-12
ELECTRIC Light SERVICE
No Bids for Next Year Received
Yet by the Commissioners.
Only Two Companies to Furnish
Power and Lamps, and One Has De-
Can BE Paid Under Existing Law.
other Affairs of the District

In the District Appropriations bill for the
fiscal year Of 1901-l902 the items for the
maintenance of the police and fire alarm
electrical service and the extension Of the
same is provided for under the head of
Telegraph and Telephone Service" and
the personnel of the service is somewhat
changed
To meet the requirements Of the new act
the Electrical Engineer has recommended
that Charles G. Harris. the present Super
intendent OF lamps be made Inspector
Of Lamps. and that E. K. Lowe. H. D.
Mankin, and E Burgess. at present in
spectors of gas and electric lighting. be
made inspectors.
The Electrical Engineer further recon-
mends that the compensation OF Thomas
]. Fisher, Inspector Of Electric Lighting,
be increased from 81 10 s. q day; that the
compensation Of II. ". Madert. W. T. Fer
guson. and Sidney Wiley, assistant tele-
phone operators. be increased from 81 to
$l.25 a day each, and that the compensa-
ton Of L. S. johnson, skilled iaboTer, be
increased from 81 TO $3.50 day
He also recommends that the compensa-
tion of the Electrical Engineer be appor-
toned as follows: Street lighting. $1,000;
electric lighting, $780, and general ex-
penses for telegraph aad telephone service
$500, in all 81. 400.
The Electrical Engineer announced to
the Commissioners this morning that no
proposals were received for incandescent
lighting on May 19. the advertised date
on which such bids were TO have been
opened He states that the officers Of the
Potomac Electric Power Company. The
present contractors, claim that they did
not receive any notice OF such advertise
ment although specifications were sent
1 10 them by mail from this Office. COntin-
uing. Mr. Allen says:
/ AS the above mentioned company and
/ the United States Electric Lighting Com
/ pany are the only corporations capable Of
/ furnishing this service, and as no bids from
/ either company we're received. l would rec
/ Ommend that these two companies be
| asked IL they viii enter into contrast 70
/ furnish said seryince under the specih-
| cations already drawn up / have had in
| terviews with the present contractors,
| who have stated, UnOfiicially. that their
| company Is ready 10 enter into such q
! contract"
II is understood that the Commissioners
/ who have this recommendation Of the
! Electrical Engineer under advisem5nt. arc
| in favor Of calling -or new proposals fol
/ the electric lighting service.
4 third communication has also beer
| received by the Commissioners from The
Electrical Engineer. in which he transmits
the proposal Of the United States Elec
tric Lighting Company for arc lighu
for the fsral year OF 1901 and 1902, and
adds the following statement:
The price bad b. this company, S115.6
Cor each lamp per annun, is Tar in exces
| OF the maximum limit mentioned in n
law, and. Of course. cannot be entertained
The rate which the District can pay for II
service cannot exceed S72 for each lam
per annum. The company. in submittin
( their bid. have made numerous changes
| erasures, and alterations IN the speciica
| tions. 20 which cannot agree Section
/ Of the specifications they have crossed GU
| entirely. This relates 10 the inspecuO
and testing OF lamps by the District on
| requires the company TO furnish the neces
sary Information regarding their circuit
and such help at thc station as may b
necessary. Il also provides that they sha
not change the make or style OF lamp
without the approval OF the Commission
| ers. These are very important points, ar
should be included IN the contract tn
, testing OF the lamps and circuits is nc
I only desirable and necessary, but II is re
quired BY the Appropriations act. and is
| duty from which the department cannot
relieved. The lamps used should rot
changed without the approval Of the Cor
missioaers. as q less efficient or unds
sirabie kind might be selected BY the con
pany."
In section Of the specifications the
have chGnged the rating Of the lamI
| from 459 TO 425 watts per lamp. FoJ
hundred and fifty watts represents n
q ! amount OF electric energy or power cor
, | sumed BY an arc lamp commonly known I
, | one OF 1.00o actual or 2 000 nominal car
l die power. the latter being a trade desil
: | nation for a standard make OF lam
/. | This rating has been adopted by II
D | American Institute OF Electrical Eng
neers, and is accepted by the electric
, fraternity generally as being a more def
mite and easily determined measure ths
| the uncertain one Of candle power
a | the law requires each lamp to be OF 10
> actual candle power, 425 watts, WHICH
= less than !, 900 candle power, could not
4 permitted. The third clause of this Sc
4 ton relating to switches cut outs eti
, may not be necessary. as the compaI
. would naturally furnish scch devices Z
d their own protection. but the last clau
Of the section referring to the testing a.
inspection Of lamps should be retained
Section IS should also be retained.
omission would prevent the Commissione
i from extending the arc lighting service,
most undesirable state of affairs sin
with the appropriation for tie next ye
= about $50 additional lamps can be mai
2 | tanned.
Il would, therefore, recommend that
: communication be sent TO the President
IS the United States Electric Lighting Col
IT pany, stating that q contract must be e
d tered into for the arc. lighting service
n the coming fiscal year. but that certI
ie changes in the specifications, as SUBMIT
le by him in his old bid, cannot be acceptes
d II is understood that the Commission,
who have this recommendation under 8
Visement will coicur in it's provisions.
To Gather Household Statistics.