The Topeka state journal., 1905-07-27
SAYS 1T LOOKS QUEER.
Topeka Councilman Suspicious About
Electric Light Contract.

A councilman prominent in the affairs
of the city charges the Warner Electric
company of Muneie, Indiana, with lob
bying in. endeavoring to secure the con-
tract for furnishing the city with a
system Of enclosed arc lamps. The
contract involves the expenditure OF
from 81, 500 to 1920, depending upon
the character of the contract and the
terms of the payment. The Ft. Wayne
Electric company of FIT. Wayne, Indi-
ana is the rival in the contract of the
Warner company.
There's nasty look about this cleo
trio light business" said he, "a very
nasty look. If there is not a scandal
bre ewing in this matter it certainly looks
scandalous. 1 don't want to pose as a
reformer or anything of that sort but
the people have right to inquire INTO
these things and discover If there IS
any truth in the matter. 1t certainly
looks suspicious on the face OF it. When
She matter was first considered by the
ways and means committee the warner
Electric company had the only propos1-
ton to submit and we were naturally
about to grant them the contract but
Just about the time the Ft. Wayne COM
pany comes in and makes a bid 1t was
then decided to weigh the merits of the
two bids and investigate them more
closely before making the contract 1t
was decided by the committee that it
would be best to engage the service OF
some expert electricians and consult
with them before making the award. 1t
was a technical matter, too technical for
us to decide which was best. The rep
resentatives of the two companies had
been told in the meantime to WITHDRAW W
from the committee meetings in order
that the consideration of the question
might not be interrupted. They with
drew and subsequently left the city but
in the meantime the Warner company
engaged the services of an attorney to
lobby for it.. This attorney is
right next to the city administra ton,
one who is the private attorney for the
mayor. I have nothing to say against
the attitude of the mayor in this matter;
he has always held himself manifestly
fair and committed himself to neither or
the two propositions. He has held out
for the employment of experts to decide
this matter. can criticise him in no re-
spect-
.aThen here on the floor of the coun-
Gil few nights ago the council takes
right from out of the hands of the ways
and means committee this whole mat
ter and refers it to the gas and cleo
trio lights committee. It was knowing
ly done They were fully cognizant OF
what action the committee would take
on the matter since Councilman Hughes
and Councilman Simms of that COM
mittee stated that they would never
vote any other way except for the War
ner proposition. They had the bid of
the FIT. Wayne company on file, 1t Is
true that it was referred TO the ways
and means committee but they could
have asked that it be opened. But no,
they go ahead and introduce a resolu-
tion to the city council approving the
contract with the Warner company ana
ask that the city council award the con-
tract to the Warner company because
no other company has submitted BID
in proper form to the council.
THAT was a little too rank for the
city council to swallow, so they refused
nd
committee asked for more time when
the two propositions were referred to
them last and asked for the appoint
ment of some experts. But on this re-
port they took it away from the com
nittee and have now turned 1t over to
the gas and electric lights committee.
1t is well known what sort of report
that committee will hand in. / tell you
it looks ugly"
The difference between the two pro-
positions amounts in figures to about
$1,000 The Warner company's bid IS
about $4,000 while $6,530 is the bid
which the FIT. Wayne company have
submitted This is on a cash basis. On
a monthly basis the latter company
asks 1920. The difference in the size
of the bids comes over the statement
made by the FIT. Wayne company that
it is necessary to rewind the dynamos
at the plant in order to reduce the am
perage from SO to 66. The FIT. Wayne
company claims that it is impossible to
run an enclosed arc lamp on high
amperage. The Warner company claims
that it is possible by speeding up the
machines and that no harm will result.
That the light can be furnished and the
machinery will not be injured by run
ming at the high rate of speed. With
the dynamos rewound the plant would
be practically refurbished. The FIT.
Wayne company makes a specially low
price for the rewinding if it is done now,
the Warner company claims that the
city can more economically put off the
rewinding until some other time. They
are willing to furnish bond to insure the
terms of their contract.
The members of the ways and means
committee are S. T. Howe, William
Green, L. A. Ryder, c. V. Horn, Joseph
Griley, J. W. F. Hughes. The members
of the gas and electric lights committee
are ]. W. F. Hughes, F. B. Simms and
C. K. Holiday.