The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-11-17

tee in rejecting the bid. It cannot be that requirement. that lamps are to give not less than sixty candle power may be satisfied by the placing of lamps which some person, not a party to the contract and under no obligation to the city, assures the contractor will give the required light.
 Tn my opinion, therefore, the bid of the New Haven Gas Light company was not made in accordance with the advertisement and specifications"
 At the conclusion of the reading of the opinion of the corporation counsel, Alderman Moran amended that the majority report be accepted instead of the minority report. This motion was seconded by Alderman Maxwell.
 Alderman Spreyer then took the floor and made splendid speech in which he urged the acceptance of the minority report. He said that there were cer- tain rules and regulations governing almost everything and that nothing | could be successful without them. Con- tinuing, he said that the city had it's charter and that if it was not the rul- ing power in governing the city's af- fairs trouble would follow. He then read the section in the charter govern ing the letting of city contracts. Un- der this section the speaker thought that the only thing the committee could do was either to throw out all bids or else accept the lowest. Continuing, the alderman said. Have the signers of the majority report given any reasons for recommending the acceptance of one of the highest bids submitted? The majority report is surrounded with
 mystery. If they should award the I contract to the New Haven company I why should they not give it to the low ] est bidder? Why did we advertise for l any bids if it was not to get the lowest \ responsible bidder? No one has yet questioned the responsibility of any of l the bidders. If a member of this board l intended to build a house he would un- doubtedly hire the man who would do ] the work we'll for the lowest price. If this so, why should not the affairs of l this city be run on business principles? < Why has the New Haven Gas Light
 company tried to avoid the terms of l the contract? That company will not
 furnish lamps, but it will furnish the j SSdS u ULllEIE COlIIpdi1lGS IpI SAA d 1dIGp
 Why doesn't it furnish it direct to the
 city itself? Does this board want it
 said that it is not competent to run the
 affairs of the city, and that it is show l ing favoritisn ?'' x
 Alderman Elliott was the next speak i CT and he said that he believed in fair ] ness being shown to all the parties con-
 cerned. He said: Under the charter
 we could have made contract without having advertised for any. bids. We,
 however, saN fit to advertise for bids,
 and now we must do what is fair. The
 majority report ignores ali the bids ex-
 cept that of the New Haven Gas Light
 company, while the minority report gives them all consideration, None of l the bidders has been accused of not be- 1 ing responsible, and they all stand be- \ fore this board in an equal light, except l whatever difference the size of their
 bids might make.
 sThe honor of this city is at stake. \ If you ignore the low bids and accept a
 high one you will never have any more | outside competition in anything, as no responsible firm would put up with
 such dealings
 Alderman MeGuinness was the next l speaker and he said he favored the ma \ iority report He referred to a great
 mistake which he said the board of ed-
 ucation made some time ago in grant ! ing plumbing contract for one of the ! schools to a Boston firm.
 Alderman Maxwell, a member of the l lighting committee, said that his com Tnittee had taken pains to hold public \ hearings and find out the opinion of the 4 citizens and that it had been the sense
 of all the hearings, with one or two 3I individual exceptions, that the Wels- bach light was the best, and that was one of the principal reasons why the I lighting committee had recommended lit. F *
 1 Alderman Wheeler said: Personally, ! I should favor the granting of the con- l tract to the New Haven company if it furnished the lights, but it doesn't. l According to the corporation eounsel's opinion, the present form of proposed
 contract could not be made. What AL l derman Elliott said in reference to this I matter is true. w>r
 l Alderman Jacobs then asked Alder 2 lnaan Hosley if the. American Lighting
 company always furnished 60 candle
 power lights. Alderman Hosley replied ithat out of test of forty-five lights taken at random in the city of Balti. more, there was only one light below lthat amount and that the average or lthat number of lights amounted to 6t per cent.
 ! Alderman Maxwell then said that ii
 the board were looking for the lowest bidder that it should go to the Cleve. Hand Lighting company.
 II Alderman Chadwick said that in the
 interest of the city he could not vote for the adoption of the New Haver
 contract. .-.
 Alderman Spreyer called for an aye la and nay vote on the question and i
 was voted that when a vtoe was taker it should be so taken.
 T Alderman Minor said that last yea
 when he was on the lighting committed
 when the lights about the city were
 visited street, after stree was found
 where the lights gave out only fort, candle power.
 Alderman Maxwell started to reat
 some letter as to some ones persona , opinion of the American Lighting com pany's light.
 . Alderman Elliott objected to it ana
 Alderman Maxwell did not read it. Alderman Elliott said that by forcins ILH-