Omaha daily bee., 1905-06-28
CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS
Two Bids for Lighting Streets with Gas
Received and Referred.
zlMMAN OFFERS ORDINANCE FOR LOW RATE
Fixes Price of Gas for City TO he
Used in street Lighting at One
Dollar and Matter is
Referred.

as called for by Councilman NiCholsons
advertisement. Under the present condi- |
tions the propositions seem to be neck and
neck, but If ordinance introduced by
President Zimman attempting to fix the
maximum price of 81 for gas for street
lighting bought by the city from the
Omaha Gas company is passed and sus-
tanned by the courts, the Cleveland pro-
posal is much the cheapest. The Omaha
Gas company, which has a monopoly on
the local gas business, bid for furnishing
the gas, equipment and maintenance, while
the Cleveland concern submitted a price
for equipment and maintenance only. All
documents in the matter were referred to
the street lighting committee.
The Omaha Gas company asks a price
of S2S for S0-candle power Welsbach burn
ers, with minimum number of l2S6, this
being represented as the service furnished
at present for $50 a year for each lamp.
AS a secondary offer a proposal is made
to furnish 6O-candle power Welsbach
lamps, minimum 1900. for S25 yearly, and.
thirdly, the od-fashloned fshtail burners,
using not to exceed five cubic feet of gas
an hour are offered for $3.50, the candle
power guaranteed being 26. All service to
be all night, or 1900 hours year.
Bid of Cleveland Company.
The bid of the Cleveland Street Lighting
company excludes gas, which, it is as
sumed, will have to be purchased from the
local gas company by the city, and names
a price of $3.50 per lamp per year for
equipment and maintenance, the city's
poles to be used, new ones to be fur
nished for IS during the first three years
of the contract and for 81 the last two
years. The lamps promised are to be of
"the latest boulevard pattern" having an
efficiency of 60-candle power and claimed
to be equal to the illumination now fur
nished by the Omaha Gas company. The
service is to be all night, but only 3,76O
hours yearly are estimated, and it is stated
that the incandescent burners to be used
will not consume more than three cubic
feet of gas an hour. The minimum num-
Der of lights would be 1000 and at the ex-
piration of the contract the lamps and
| burners would remain the property of the
company.
Using the 50. so price for equipment, light
| ing extinguishing, cleaning, repairs, ETC.,
| and the maximum consumption of gas each
hour, gas lamps under the latter proposal
would cost s25.O2, using the present COM
mercial cash gas rate of S1.35 as basis;
| or $21.OS II the Zimman ordinance to ar
bitrarily lower the price of gas bought by
piled.
Ordinances on the Contract.
An ordinance arranging for a contract as
proposed with the Cleveland company was
introduced by Councilman Nicholson and
| read the first and second times. The Zim-
man ordinance would simply put maxi
mum price of 81 on gas bought in the way
mentioned and enjoins contracts after the
passage and approval of the ordinance
calling for a higher rate. 1t also was read
the first and second times and referred.
City Attorneys Breen and Herdman when
asked for an opinion said that 1t is an open
question whether or not this legislation is
valid, owing to the fact that the gas fran
chise Is mute on the precise subject in
voIved.
There was no debate or comment regard
ing the gas deal.
Veto Sustained.
The council sustained veto of Mayor
Moores to a resolution ordering the removal
Of obstructions on old Thirteenth street
from Spring street to Central boulevard be
cause Rochefort & Gould have a brick kilr
on the street and the mayor said brick is
too scarce and improvements to plentiful
to think of interrupting the industry jus
now. He stated, also. that the expense o.
sidered at this time.
The mayors reappointments of Harry P
Deuel., Frank L. Haller and John Rush a.
, members of the Library Board for terms
, expiring in July, 1908, were confirmed, a
was his designation of Daniel p Clifton a
a member of the Examining Board o
Plumbers.
; Bids from five companies ranging from
80 cents to $3.50 for 500 feet of rubber fir
hose to be used for street flushing were re
ceived and referred to the buildings an
4 property committee and street commits
: sioner.
. Concerning the Primaries.
In letter to the council City Clerk FL
bourn called attention to the fact that no
tices for the primary election to be hel
under the Dodge primary law seven week
Q before election must be published July 2
). stating the time and place of registratio
5 and polling; that the council must tax
|. prompt action to refashion the voting dis
i tricts in the wards owing to the recent de
districting from nine to twelve wards. II
: said the county clerk has already aske
t for precinct maps which will have to h
q furnished quickly. The communication wa
: placed on file.
y Tax Commissioner Fleming got in a b'
e lated assessment of 100000 against III
Omaha & Council Bluffs Railway compan
d as lessees of the west half of the Dougla
street bridge. The entry was overlooke
IS in making up the tax rolls.
lie Upon their respective requests Counci
g man OBrien drew a vacation of fol
weeks TO make an eastern trip and Tia
Commissioner Fleming one of twenty-hN
8 days, his second vacation in five years.
Cotton Pond In Controversy.
, Petitions for and against the drainal
and abatement Of the Cotton pond at Fort
third avenue and lizard street, on proper
- owned by DR.. S. d. Mercer were T
ceived, together with an objection by u
IN Mercer and a statement by Health Cor
"a missioner Ralph in which he said he h;
v Investigated the premises and found Il
he pond polluted by sewage emptying into
al a disease breeder and dangerous to Il
on public health. The petition asking for d
H. removal OF the pond was signed by thirt
ts six residents and the one requesting I
We pond retained by twenty-seven resident
OF The latter said the spot Is beautiful a.
n a pleasant feature" OF the locality, a
he is good for fishing, boating and skatir
e II urged that the city acquire It, pla
at trees and make a permanent resort thei
he denied the pool is stagnant and said It
'se fed by springs. A resolution directing I