The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-10-14

ton for the contractor and the city.
In answer to a council resolution
| calling for the immediate preparation
| of specifications for next years street
! lighting in order that an early call for
bids might be made, the board held an
| informal conference yesterday after
| noon with the various lighting inter
ests, but only one conclusion was
| reached-to have the city own its lamp
| posts.
Three Companies Represented.
The lighting representatives present
were President A P. Lathrop, of the st.
Paul Gas Light company; Charles Pat
| terson, the local agent of the Cleveland
| Vapor Light company, the present
| lighting contractors, and Robert See
ger, agent for the American Develop
ment company. Corporation Attorney
| Michael and City Engineer Rundlett
were in attendance.
Robert Seeger, with his attorney,
Harris Richardson, pressed the council
| claim for early specifications, but to
| this the board demurred, as it had not
made its annual specification, and
| therefore was not in a position to de-
| termine the actual number of street
| lamps that would be needed.
"The first thing 1 think this board
| should do is to take steps to have the
! city own the iron lamp posts used in its
| street lighting said President erode,
| of the board.
Il agree with you there" answered
! Corporation Attorney Michael. THAT
| is the only solution of the street light
! ing problem in ST. Paul. l wouldn't
advise the preparations OF specifca-
| tons until after the Semi-annual lamp
| inspection. AS far as calling for bids
| at this early date is concerned, you
cannot place a contract until after the
| budget is approved by the council"
l"Don't you want competition? ' asked
| Mr.. Seeger, of the American Develop
| ment company.
I'VE certainly do" answered Com
missioner Murphy, of the board of
public works. That's why we want
the city to own the lamp posts. We
! have had competition for the past two
years and We want to have it contin-
ued. Competition this year saved the
city nearly $4,000 over what you did
! the work for" 60;
IF we get the contract this year we
will give you lamp posts for nothing.
We will agree not to charge you a cent
| for them. 1t seems to me it is poor
| economy to buy lamp posts when you
can get them for nothing" commented
Mr.. Seeger.
81 do not favor you or any other
| company" answered Commissioner
| Murphy. 81 want competition and pub
|
| You were not always SO considerate Of
! the city's welfare"
Says Trust Is After Him.
II want it understood right here that
| [ believe in the city owning it's own
| posts said Charles Patterson, of the
| Cleveland Vapor Light company. IT
| tell you, gentlemen, it is one of the
things that will keep my company in
| the field. We have saved this city
| $4,000, and you know it," continued
Mr.. Patterson. pointing his finger at
| field you asked the city $29 a lamp.
Our bid was $23.96, and that is what
is being paid today. Now, gentlemen,
we are in the field to stay as long as
| everything is fair and the specifica-
lions are based on a standard boule-
| ward incandescent lamp like ours. But
I want to tell you frankly that if any
| other kind of lamp is specified or the
! bids are opened before the charter is
| approved we will not bid. We have
been through to much costly litigation
to stay here and invite more That is
| what the trust wants and that is why
| I advise city ownership of the posts.
| We expect to be underbid this time.
| The trust is going to move heaven and
| earth to get us out of the way, and the
| offer of free posts is one of the meth
| DDS. We have lost money on this con-
l L saying
! it, and If forced out this time we shall
| be unable to return again and compete
| for your business. If the city owns
| the posts, then the investment as far
| as the contractor is concerned is great
ly reduced and naturally we will be in
| the field when bids for lighting again
| come up.
Stirs Up Lively Repartee.
For the next few minutes there was
some lively repartee between the two
| contractors which was only silenced
by President erode interfering and sug-
| costing that it was posts the board
| needed, not the airing of their differ
| ences.
| Mr.. Seeger's attorney insisted that il
| the board We're agreeable specifica-
| tons could now be prepared and much
valuable time saved by calling for bids,
| awarding the contract and then sign
ing it when the budget was approved
| You cannot let the contract until
! December, when the budget is APP
! proved" answered Corporation At
torney Michael. 1.-The charter positive
~ prohibits the awarding of a con-
tract until after the money is avail
| able"
Mr.. Richardson thought there was
nothing wrong in the council anticipate
ing the budget and getting everything
| ready.
Il remember that you took the OPP
posite view in some litigation with the
| present contractors" commented Cor
| poration Attorney MichaelS At think
there is every disposition on the part
of the board and the council to hurry
| things, and l am positive that all will
come out right if the charter is OBJ
served. I cannot agree to any other
! course"
Fhe board finally decided on recon-
mending to the council an investment
Of $4,000 in iron lamp posts, and this
brought from Mr.. Seeger the sugges-
ton that If posts We're to be bought
the specifications should call for q
| standard article
Probably mine are not good posts %
remarked Mr.. Patterson, the present
| contractor
well. some 1 have seen are not the