The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-11-06
ALDERMEN THINK
GAS !. BID | IS !. HIGH {
COMPANIES FIGURE
rs DEEMED EXCESSIVE.
$12.s4 Is Asked for Maintenance of In
carldescent Lamps When Same Com
pany Charges Only $12.25 in st Paul
Baltimore and Cleveland Figures
Compared With Minneapolis, look
Funny. 2~TEi fr}5+S

Incandescent gas lighting was dis
cussed at the meeting Of the council
committee on gas this afternoon. Tho
members expressed satisfaction over
the. reduction in the cost of electric
lighting and favor renewing the: cleo
to the gas bid, as the; proposal. to fur
nish gas at 95 cents per 1000 cubic
feet, is the present price. -,
But the aldermen are dissatisfied with
the bid of the Patterson Street. Light
ing company, which wants 5$l2.S4 each
for maintenance of the incandescent
gas lamps, when the same company
charges only 1925, in St.. Paul. It is
commended that even the st. Paul price
is grossly excessive, and a. number of
aldermen are strongly in. favor of re-
jecting all the bids and readvertising.
The fact that three new companies offer
to install complete system of 5000
incandescent attachments, worth from
ST to- So each, and maintain them at a
nominal advance over. the Patterson
bid, looks to the aldermen as if the lat
ter is excessive. The contention is
made that having had the attachments
here for two years and made generous
profit, so generous as to attract unfa-
vorable comment, the company should
be reasonable. ....
For what Minneapolis is called upon
to pay $12.94 per year, Baltimore pays
only 50 a year, and Cleveland only $6.l2
year. Both cities own their lamp
heads Baltimore let's. lighting and
maintenance contract and Cleveland
does the lighting and maintenance itself
under the direction of j. Martin Thumm
Mr.. ,Thumm has visited Minneapolis and
studied the lighting question} and says =!
could not do its lighting as cheaply as
Cleveland. This means that if the city
purchases tn lamp heads with incandes
cent attachments it can buy the lamps
and do. it's own lighting for almost as
| little as the Patterson company ask:
simply for lighting. 49,
For some reason Cleveland is able te
purchase the incandescent attachment;
lamp costs $6:12 per lamp per. year. The
gas costs $5.43 per. lamp per year.
The lighting schedule in Minneapolis
| is $500 hours and the incandescent
burners are to consume not less than g.;
cubic feet an haur. This is 1880 feet
| a. year, which at IS cents, will cost
$11.91, which looks big beside the $5.4;
| in Cleveland, but which is about as low
as can be expected under the present
! conditions.
The Patterson company wants $l2.S4
year, while another company asks
$12.75 for the same service. There is
some difference in the bids regarding
the use of "governor, which is sale
| to be. Of little or no consequence. I'm
der this latter bid, however, the city
has the privilege Of purchasing the in
,candescent attachments. :: "
The Patterson contract will cost the
city. $138,6O0. for $500 gas lamps ii
Guiding the gas. For $I4l $50 the city
can purchase a complete outfit anc
care for the entire maintenance. Fol
the second, year, with the city owning IS
can be ligE}ted and maintained for les
than: 100000, according TO the cCleve
land figures. There is thus: a chance t.
save between $35, 900 and $40, 1000
year, which is said to be the ''velvet ,
i in the present contract. .~