Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-10-07
AWARDED
Contract For 10
Years.
e. 80.
N. 0. 7. Will Keep on
Lighting City.
Proposes to Make Some Exten-
slve improvements.

S'NN '''S' - S'''~
The contract on the N. o. T. Co. for |
lighting the city has been renewed,
for 10 years, at the rate Of pa cents
an hour for lamps. There are 800
lamps in use at the present time, and
the aggregate cost of lighting the city
for year will be in the neighborhood
of $4,000. The contract is such that
the amount of the service can be regu-
lated by the Board of City Commits
sioners, but the minimum number Of
hours Of service per year is not to fall
below $500.
The object of the company in want
ing a, contract for SO long a term is
that 1t proposes to re-wire the city
and make humber Of other improve
ments, which It would not like to un-
dertake without the assurance Of a
long contract. 1t was stated that all
the. improvements planned will cost
about 100000. A lot of new machin-
cry has been placed in the plant Of
the company lately, in anticipation Of
a renewal of the contract.
There, were 10 members of, the City
Council present Monday night, DR.. ia
cobs being the only member absent.
OF the Is members, Messrs. Sawyer
and Rice were the only ones dissent
ing to renewal Of the contract. The
City Commissioners few days ago
approved the contract, Mr.. Houser be-
ing the only member who voted against
1T, and as the Council approved the rec
ommendation of the Board, the new
contract has been awarded finally.
Mr.. Sawyer made a long speech,
principally against awarding the con-
tract for so long a term He stated
that the whole system of electric light
ing may be revolutionized within the
next three months, and that the city
would not like to be in such position
that it could not take advantage Of
anything better offered. He quot
ed prices on bonds of the N. o. T. Co.,
and stated that stock broker recent
ly advertised how good an investment
they are, and added that the net pro-
ceeds of its light department alone
were in the neighborhood of $4,000.
''The price they have quoted us may
be all right" he said, ''but / am not
| sure Of it, as l don't understand the
electric light business. However, I
think that its net earnings show it to
be very profitable investment. 1t ia
worth long and careful investigation,
and there ought to be no hurry in this
matter, because the present contract
with the company does not expire un.
I'll next June.
President Seidell, of Council, stated
that he thought the price quoted was
all right, and that the N. o. Il. Co. was
entitled to some consideration on ac
count Of the fact that it had its money
invested here, and was one Of the i'm
portant industries of the city. He sale
that figures obtained from all over thu
country showed that the electric ligh
business was not always a successful
money maker, and that municipa
plants were failures. "You can't ge
at the figures of municipal plants,
he declared, because the board O
management is always shifting, ant
every board seeks to make its owl
showing best, and for this reason ey
erything that can be shipped to tn
board following it is showed over.
, am opposed to municipal lightin
plants, because the scheme has no
} been proven success"
5 Attorney S. G. Rogers, attorney 70
! the N. o. Il. Co., also made a speec
Q In favor of the contract, and Messr.
j Wilhelm, Koons, Manderbach, Gautl
l. Ter, Hill and Piske made additional r,
$ marks approving it. Mr.. John Shun
t stated that he believed the city ougf
I ultimately to own its own plant.