The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-11-17
4 NEW LIGHTING COMPANY
WILL FURNISH CITY GAS AND
 NAPHTHA LAMPS

For the Next Three Years-AIdermen
 Adopt tho Minority Report and
 Award Contract to the American
 Lighting Company Instead of she New
 Haven Gas Light Company Which
 Uses weisbash Barners-vote stood
 II to 8.
 One of the greatest surprises which has been sprung in city hall in years occurred at the special meeting of the board of aldermen which was held there last evening. The surprise consisted of the throwing down of the majority re- port of the lighting committee for the lighting of the city for the next three years and the adoption of Alderman Hosley's, or the minority report The majority report recommended the con tinuanee of the present gas and naph- tha system and the renewal of the contract with the New Haven Gas Light company for the next three years. This recommendation was signed and submitted by the entire lighting com mittee with the exception of Alderman Hosley. He submitted a minority re- port recommending that the contract be awarded to the American Lighting company, which he considered was the most reasonable as well as best bid- der.
 The concensus of opinion was that the majority report would undoubtedly be accepted but 1t was not and by the vote passed the lighting system of the city will be changed, electric lighting excepted.
 After Clerk Moran had read both the reports from the lighting committee Ala derman Spreyer moved that the minor ity report be accepted, and the motion was seconded by Alderman Elliott.
 Alderman Wheeler then took the floor and stated that he understood that one of the members of the lighting commit- tee had an opinion from the corporation counsel in reference to the city's ac- cepting the bid of the New Haven Gas Light company. He said if this were so it might be well to have the opinion read before the matter was voted on.
 Alderman McGuinness then arose and said that he would like to know wIleth- CT it had been the committee or an irn- dividual who had asked for the opin- ion.
 Alderman Hosley said that with the presidents permission he would answer the question. Permission being grant, ed. Alderman Hosley stated that he had gone to the corporation counsel and had asked him for an opinion as to the legality of the acceptance of the specis fications submitted by the New Ha- ven Gas Light company The corpora ton counsel refused to give an opinion until the alderman went to Mayor Studley and got a written request from him. This he took to the corporation counsel and that official drew up re- port which he afterwards sent to AL derman HosleSy.
 Alerman Spreyer wanted the opinion read and Alderman Bracken objected.
 President Jacobs of the lighting conn mittee stated that he had asked the corporation counsel for his opinion and that it had been refused.
 Alderman Minor then took the floor. He said that Alderman Hosley had certainly shown, by his entire conduct in reference to the lighting question. that he had the best interests of the taxpayers and general public at heart. If the rest of the committee had neg lected their business in not getting the opinion he certainly had not and 1t was only fair at least that the board should listen to the communication.
 Alderman Hosley then asked Chair man Jacobs in reference to what he had asked the opinion of the corpora ton counsel, and Alderman Jacobs re- piled by saying that he had asked in reference to the New Haven Gas Light company's contract.
 Alderman Wheeler then arose and commended Alderman Hosley for what he had done in the interest of the gem eral public in the most glowing lan1 guage.
 Aldermen Elliott was the next speaker. He also thought that Alder man Hosley was deserving of great credit for what he had done and said that there ought to be no question about the reading of the report. Said the speaker: gThe report is signed by the corporation counsel and anyone who AidSs tilC OGSt lliICAC0lS OA tltC tlty dt heart should want to gain all the infor- nation possible as to the situation"
 A vote was then taken as to whether the report should be read or not and the motion to read it was carried.
 Alderman Hosley then read the re- port, which stated that special refer- ence should be made to specification No. 2, which is as follows:
 Mot less than 1.050 incandescent or mantle (gas) lamps of no less than 60E candle power. (Note. Party who ob- tains this contract must assume item No. also). Contractor furnishing en- tire equipment except posts,
 The opinion then lays particular stress to the fact that the specihca- tions called for '1amps to burn 4O00 hours per year and give not less than 60 candle power each"
 The opinion then says:
 'tThe bid Of the New Haven Gas company was made on a typewritteri form Of these specifications, and hat after the last statement above quoted from item No. 2 an asterisk. and be- low. apparently insterted by the cona- Dany. the following:
 We propose to furnish the Welsbach sixty candle power burner. so-called, such as is. and for three years has been. in use on street lamps in this