The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-22
Provision That VIII Enable n Change
from n Moonlight to an ALL
Night Schedule.
EXPLAINED BY CITY ENGINEER
HE SAYS COMMERCIAL CLUBS SUG-
GEsTIONs WE'RE FOLLOWED.
In Many Places There Are Too Many
Electric Light Poles in the Alleys,
the Engineer Says.

from the city attorneys Office, II is optional
with the Board of Public Works whether
the lamps shall be run on a moonlight
night. In the original contract no provision
was made for a moonlight schedule. This is
the most important difference between the
new contract and the original specifications.
Section of the new contract says:
1.-The company shall keep each and every
lamp lighted continuously each and every
night during the existence of this contract.
from one-half hour after sunset until one
half hour before sunrise; but at the option
of the Board of Public Works a moonlight
schedule may be adopted, in which event
the lamps shall be lighted one-half hour
after sunset and one-half hour before moon
set and extinguished one hour after moon
rise and one hour before sunrise"
The two other important changes in the
original specifications are the striking out
of City Engineer Nelson's private lighting
franchise and supplanting it with the TWEEN
ty-five-year franchise of the Merchants
Heat and Light Companys franchise, and
the striking out of the city engineers pro-
vision that other companies having fran
chises for private lighting should be allowed
to use the poles of the company awarded
use of these poles by other companies would
not hinder or interfere with the business OF
the company owning them.
With these and few minor exceptions.
franchise is about what the directors of the
Commercial Club advocated, and is practi-
cally copy of the original contract, which
was drawn by him.
TO MEET OBJECTION.
To cover the objection made by members
of the Commercial Club directorate and
other citizens that the city ought not to
grant a street-lighting contract for ten
years. for the reason that the cost of the
production of electric illumination may be
considerably reduced within the period of
the contract, the new contract contains
Qhe same as the original specifications did
a provision that the company "shall use
any and all devices and improvements in
electrical machinery and other apparatus
during the life of this contract, which may
be ordered by the Board of Works, the eff
feet of which shall be to increase the rea-
prove the kind, quality and power thereof.
In no case shall the amount paid by the
city for said lighting be increased by any
such change"
to bind the company awarded the contract
by hard and fast provisions to change its
plant and service in any way the Board of
Works might see fit to ask, and that the
above provision is broad enough and of
large enough scope to satisfy the criticism
that has been made of a ten-year contract.
With the exception of the provisions pro-
posed by certain directors of the CONNER
cial Club that the existence of the contract
be for fewer than ten years, and that the
contract contain provisions whereby the
a. hl q h 20 m fHA
paid for the street lighting if il were found
that the profits of the company holding the
contract justified this action, Mr.. Nelson
says the new contract covers substantially
all that the Commercial Club directors pro-
posed
PLAN FOR A CHANGE.
Following is the plan, according to Section
of the new contract, by which the con-
tract can be changed from the all-night
schedule to the moonlight schedule:
On the first day of any calendar year
during the life of this contract the Board OF
Works may change from an all-night to a
moonlight schedule, or vice versa as MANY
times as it may be necessary by givine
notice thereof TO said company not later
than Oct. / of the preceding year; and nc
change shall be adopted to take effect ex-
cept at the beginning of a calendar year
said company, when furnishing lights on
moonlight schedule, without extra compen.
sation, shall turn on their lights, as herein
nights as the moon shall be obscured by
clouds or fogs; and for such purpose tine
Board OF Works may appoint some person
as its representative whose duty IL shall
be to notify said company to so turn or
said lights on account of clouds or fog
which representative shall at all times bt
Under the supervision and direction of the
said Board of Works; and in case said com
pany, after notification. shall fail to turn or
said lights, as required, il shall forfeit anC
pay TO said city cents per hour for the
M firr7p hal foil H 80 81
said lights"
Mr.. Nelson says he does not think the
moonlight schedule is as good as the all
night schedule. but that this provision il
the new contract may be of benefit to the
city. If the city should become financially
embarrassed he says, expenses could bt
considerably reduced by changing the stree
lighting from the all-night to a moonlight
schedule.
POLES IN ALLEYS.
The provisions of the original contract
which would have given other companie.
having private lighting franchises the RICH
to use the poles of the company awarded
the street lighting contract, was stricken
from the new contract. Mr.. Nelson says, OF
account of the objection that this arrange
ment would not be a practical one anc
would hinder the business of the compan,
owning the poles. Mr. Nelson saws that II
great many places over the city there ar,
too many electric light wire poles i'm IN,
alleys. and that the number could be re
duced very well by having more than on,
company use one pole
The original specifications contained tn,
private lighting franchise not as one pro
vision, but parts of the private lightin,
franchise were contained in many of tn,
provisions of the original contract Tn,
private lighting franchise is made a sepa
rate provision of the new contract Thi.
change was made by the city attorney i