The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-10-19
AN IMPORTANT MEETING.
ALDERMEN TO CONSIDER MANY
 MATTERS.

Some of the Problems to be Solved
 shall the City Purchase the HaIstead
 & Harmont PTopertys-Other Things
 Go be Decided.
 A special meeting of the board of al-
 dermen has been called for this evening
 and many matters of importance will
 be considered.
 The public lighting question will like
 ly be the principal subject of discus
 sion,. and the lighting committee will
 make their report to the board and also,
 whatever recommendations they deem
 advisable in this matter. It is not very
 long before the present city contract
 will expire and just what arrangements
 will be made for new contract is at
 present uncertain.
 There is but little question that the
 New Haven Gas Light company will
 furnish the gas but whether direct to
 the city or not is the question. After
 the executive session of the lighting
 committee on last Friday night one of the members of the committee was in- terviewed in reference to this matter. He said that the specifications for the
 new contract and the bids would be so carefully Worded that anybody and
 everybody who so desired would be af- forded a chance to apply for the con- tract. ~. t>sS E@. ... The question was then asked him
 how it would be possible for anyone other than the New Haven Gas com pany to bid successfully in the matter, as they were the only ones who had an available plant at the present time to supply the gas.
 l' He replied by saying that there were a number of people, some of whom do not reside in this city, who had signi- fled their intentions of bidding and if any of them were successful they would undoubtedly have to make a sort of sub contract with the gas company Most of those who will bid care very little about supplying the gas but they are all anxious of providing the city with different kinds of mant1es in which they are interested.
 At the last public hearing of the lighting committee this subject was given a great deal of attention A number of people appeared before the meeting and favored the Welsbach mantle, which has been the one used, saying that it had proved most satis- factory. Others thought that change
 would do the city good and that there were other mantles which would give
 as satisfactory service if not better than those in use at the present time.
 These and many other problems con- front the committee and it will take some time for them to make any defi-
 nite decision.
 One man who was at the hearing and who came here from the west said that
 he had mantle which was as cheap as any on the market and that he thought it the most satisfactory also; that he intended to. make a try for the con- tract and if he could get it was willing l to furnish any kind of a bond. He
 was assured that his mantles would be | given trial and that he would have I just as fair chance as any of the other 1 competitors.
 | Corporation Counsel Daggett has also given the lamp committee of the board \ of aldermen an opinion upon the muni- cipal ownership of a lighting plant for l this city. MT. Daggett, in short, quotes | the statute of 1893, which provides that | the matter must pass two boards of laaldermen and then must be voted upon l by the people. The opinion will be pre- 1 sented to the board of aldermen at I their meeting this evening.
 l Another matter which will occupy l considerable attention is whether or not l the city should purchase the Halstead I & Harmount property as an addition to l the present public wharf.
 l The committee on manufacturing and comm ercial interests who have had this matter under consideration will make their report to the board tonight and I it will be acted on.
 l The price which has been asked for l this property has been considered alto l gether too large, but it is now said that
 some reduction has been made and how I this will affect the situation is not
 known until the report is made tonight l to the board. l From what can be learned the own
 CTS refuse to sell part of the property and if it is purchased at all the entire
 land must be bought.
 I One of the members of the committee who favors the purchase said he I thought that if the land could be I bought reasonably for the city it would l prove paying investment.
 I There is rumor to the effect that
 some compromising deal between this l city and West Haven in reference tc the Kimberly avenue bridge matter will be introduced but nothing authen- l tic could be learned. l In addition to all these matters the subjects of repairing a number of the I streets about the city and the care ot I dead trees will consume considerable l time. .s >a ..5... < I CoURTsHIP OF MILES sTANDISH \ Longfellow's Melodrama Will Be Pre-