The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-02-18
SUBURBS REMAIN
IN DARKNESS
All Bids for Lights Were Re-
jected by the Council
AT LAST NIGHTS MEETING
Some Members Were Fighters
for Home Industry.
ELECTRICIAN Is APPOINTED
Other Matters That Came Be-
fore the Council.
ELECTRICIAN is APPOINTED

Wichita Is still 10 be without street
lights in the suburbs except what the lit
tie bIiul1ers furnish ard the council even
tried 10 DO away with these. The light
question came up for consideration again
last night at the council meeting. There
were three bids. one from a home con
Germ and this caused all the fuss. All Of
the councHmen wanted lights before the
council meeting began and after It ended
but some of them wanted to give the
home concern little more show than
they did TIE others, So all Of the bids were
rejected.
Al tile last meeting the council ordered
the clern r. advertise for bids and last
night Jhe bios were opened. a represen-
tatiYe eff TWO u the firms that desired lie
contract were on hand 10 tell Of the merits
II their respective uEhts. one OF them
coming from Chicago and after The meet
ing was over he told several q the man
oers that hH was sorry he came.
The bids were IS follows:
Bays Bros, IS per year per light.
United States Street Lighting company,
So per light.
Welsbach Street Lighting Company OF
America, $50 per light.
The lights We're 10 be Of the latest pat
tern Of boulevard lamps with Welsbach
mantels and each 20 have a strength OF
sixty candle power. The contract was to
be made for three years and each light
was 70 be lighted twenty nights Per
month The uited States company offer
Cd 10 put in their lights with a strength
81 30 candle power while the others were
1or Only sixty candle power.
As soon as nc bids were read Mr.. Nc
hee moved to award the contract to tha
Nelsbach company. Then the fun began.
Mr. Burton got The floor and stated that
ne was man who believed 4 great deal
in home consumption and that the bids
should be rejected and the city clerk ad-
vertise for bids for thirty days to give
the council chance to look at the Bay
Bros. light He then offered a substitute
motion that all bids be rejected and the
clerk advertise for thirty days for bids
for street lights.
Mr- Davidson was on his feet IN a sec
o1c- he got warmed UP and wanted the
contract awarded TO some company right
away.
He said. Here we are paying S2.51s a
year for these measely little old blinker
fights, half Of which go out within a few
moments after the man lights them There
are $50 q them I think and here we could
Eet 100 good lights for less money than
the old ones cost Us thar would h. an
ornament 10 any city and would give ten
times as much light as the bllnkeTs"
Mr Isley then said: 4 an heartily IN
favor CT awarding the contract tonight 20
the Welsbach people. Their lights are
not an experiment. they are ia use at the
present time In q great many large cities
and wichita could rot do better than pro-
clre them right away. The new lights
lre good ones and the old ones are not
worth 4 cent"
M Bellew then had his say in the mat
ter II am q home consumer he said.
and want TO see home industries get
along ] understand this firm is large
taxpayer in this city ana they ought to
have some consideration. and I think we
ought 10 reject the bids for thirty days
ard al OF rs take a look az the light they
offer
aIr Seheu then spoke along the same
iine. but when ne had finished NJ. David
son was on his feet and asked permission
10 speak again on the same subject. Re
s7ia. The gentleman who has Just FIR
ished speaking is one OF the best men u
5lsEn- from one side OF the fence TO anoth-
er that 7 ever saw. A few hours ago he
wanted the fights. He lives iu the suburbs
and needs the lights and here he is want
ms ~ POSTPONE the awarding Of the con
-racf- He Jumps over the fence so often
ard one tire I ta,k 70 him he is on one
side ard the next time CD The other that
cannat keep traciz Of him or his opin-
icls
3-r. scheu asked 10 he allowed u speak
and said f remember rightly The
gentleman from III Foarth ward was
eIacted on q municipal ownership ticket
end mere le IS wanting - reut The lights.
1Ir. Davidson sand he wanted lights ard
E7od ones. e the citv could buy them ala
~sfr. Il net. o. The next best thing. rent
aam
THIS ended the debate On the substitute
coticl - SIR. B-rton and en- The ron call
he vote stood six IN lavCr and FIVE
AGAINST raec-inr the bids. Er. Lulirg
asked to he excused from voting as he
was e.ee-zl IN g municipal ownership
p.atfcru and could not c0nsclauuously
v1-r ga e.th5r SIDE ~ the question
Thea rhe roa was called on the awarding
T1s cote steed six u SIX Mr.. Luiing vot-
trE uav o=cause OF his municipal owner
SHIN principles
III. Davidson moved thar the city dis
aanse with the present bElker light after f
starch first II she CITY cannot have
good lights saij be. what IS the Use
having anv
sIr. smith got the floor and said: This