Omaha daily bee., 1906-06-25
LIGHT CONTRACT NOT READY
Probably Will Not be Submitted to the
Council at It's Meeting Tonight.
MAYOR IS LIKELY TO ATTACH A VETO
Will Not Approve Any Contract I'm
less IL Settles the Ownership of
the Present Electric Light
Towers.

AS there are a number of details yet to be
worked out and agreed upon. there is little
show, IL is said, of the city council taking
any definite action tonight on the new coll
tract with the Citizens Gas and Electric
company, as recommended by the commit
tee on fire and light, Of which Councilman
Younkerman is chairman.
In It's report to the city council this COM
mittee recommended a new contract under
the moonlight schedule, at SEA 50 per year
per arc light, which IL the rate under the
old contract. At this rate, however, it is
understood the lighting company is willing
to give the city 2 per cent on its gross
earnings from all other electrical business
in the city, at the same time guaranteeing
that this royalty will reduce the cost OF
the lights TO about $50 a year each. Mayor
Macrae is strongly opposed to adhering TO
the moonlight schedule and 1t lie under
stood that several OF the councilmen are
with him in this. The moonlight schedule
has. in the past, proved unsatisfactory. for
the reabon that the moon does not always
do its share when it is supposed by
the schedule to shine at its brightest and
make the other lights unnecessary. Mayor
Macrae is quoted as saying that he will
urge the adoption of an all-night schedule
even II II costs the city more
In its report the committee made no refer
ence to the electric light towers and moth
ing Is said by II as to whether the arc lights
under the proposed new contract are TO be
placed at street intersections or TO re-
main on the towers as at present Nothing
is said also by the committee in it's re-
port as to the adoption OF certain number
of incandescent lights in place OF the arc
lamps This was tried in different parts
of the city for an experiment and is said
to have proven satisfactory.
Mayor May BaIk.
! Mayor Macrae at the meeting of the COM
| mittee OF the whole, at which the report
of the fire and light committee was tenta-
| lively approved, stated he would decline
to sign any contract for the city lighting
until the ownership of the electric light
! towers, which has been in dispute for a
number OF years, is determined. A search of
! the city records failed to throw any light
| upon the question. II has been contended all
along that the city owns three of the eight
| towers, but which particular three has
never been determined According to Coun-
Gilman Smith. who a member of the
city council at the time the towers were
erected, and City Electrician James q.
| Bradley, who. at that time was superinten-
| dent or the nre alarm system, the towers
| belonging to the city are located at Seven
teenth avenue and Third street, Twentieth
street and Fifth avenue and Twenty-third
street and Avenue b. Until the ownership
| of the towers is settled the question of
liability for maintaining them In repair
and safe condition cannot be determined
/, The Citizens Gas and Electric company, II
IL understood, has declined to assume, the
responsibility.
The fire and light committee, in it's re-
port, recommends that the price Of gas
be reduced from t1.B TO $la, and it is
! understood that this has been conceded by
the gas company. The reduced rate is not
to go into effect until January l, 1901
While the price Of gas to the private con-
sumner does not enter into the lighting con-
tract with the city, 1t will probably be EN-
bodied in the ordinance granting the COM
pany a new contract.
Chairman Younkerman has called a meet
ing of the fire and light committee for this
morning to further consider the lighting
matter and the contract with the Citizens
Gas and Electric company which City So
licitor Kimball has drafted at the request
OF the committee.
The committee will also take up the mat
ter OF fire hose. the bids on which were
referred TO 1t at the last meeting of the
city council and report back to the council
tonight.