The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-02-10
Saturday Evening,

When the first bids were opened for the
year 1906 the Patterson 4company's offer
was $12.4S per lamp. This bid being I,
deemed too high, all bids We're rejected.
Upon readvertising, the Patterson COM
pany submitted bid, Of $12.25 per lamp
per year, supplying a governor for each !!
lamp head, and the sum-$12.25 per year
lis the basis upon which payment is to
be made under the present resolution.
One Other Bid.
The only competitive bid was an offer
by another company at Sits per lamp |
without governor, but accompanied by |
the more important concession of an Of
fer to sell the lamp heads complete to
the city at the end of the contract year
at price not to exceed $3.50 per lamp
without governor Outside Of it's formal
offer the competing company promised to
reduce its bid to $40 for the second year.
and to SO for the third year, claiming
that at these figures there was profit in
the contract.
In order to determine the amount of
profit for the service in question, we
must consider the elements Of cost, the
governor, lamp head and maintenance:
Benefits the Company.
First-The. governor The Patterson
company places great emphasis upon the
matter Of the governor which is a small
device designed to regulate the pressure
Of gas The main effect Of this Is to pro-
tect the mantle against destruction from
uneven or violent pressure. The lighting
experts whom I have consulted agree that
a contractor for this service is sufficient
ly benefited by the adoption of this de-
| vice that he can we'll afford to furnish
the governor without charge. Indeed, 1t
| is for his interest, rather than for the
| 1ntrest of the city, to use the governor.
| Under the 1904 contract we had $500
lamp heads in use without governors, but
under the 1905 contract the Patterson
company provided the governors Volun-
| tarily and for it's own advantage and
without charge. on 1900 new lamps in
! stalled by it under that contract. In like
| manner the same company has Installed
gratis upward of 5000 Of their lamp heads
in St. Paul, altho the specifications of
that city do not call for that device. In
Chicago no governors are used on the
1880 incandescent lamps owned by that
city. because those in charge Of public
lighting consider them Of no value.
Finally, the governor in use by this COM
| pany is offered in the open market at Is
| cents, with a discount on the purchase
Of large quantities. The present bid prac-
tically adds SO cents per lamp per year
for the addition to the equipment Of a
device costing less than 20 cents, which
I think too large profit even assuming
that the device is worn out by one years
service. Grs-.a ..5e.e:.".
Cost Of Lamp Heads.
Second-The lamp heads. From the
best information that I have been able tc
obtain, q lamp head similar to the one
now in use in this city can be bought by
the city itself for not exceeding Sc. This
is an outside price. The city Of Cleve.
land now owns $500 lamps. For such as
were installed during the first year tina
city paid 81, for those installed during
the second year it paid IS, and that cit,
Is now paying $3.50 each for lamp heads
Chicago owns 1850 lamp heads, tn,
, cost of which is estimated by the SUI
perintendent Of the lighting department
Of that city at not exceeding $3.50, witt
J a probability that lamps to be furnishe,
t now and In the future will cost less.
, have in my possession catalogs Of sever
3 al companies, showing the prices of stree
7 lamps to vary from S. to So or 50, &C
J cording to the design, and all these list
are subject to large trade discounts aver
Q aging not less than 25 per cent A square
: lamp in place Of the boulevard globe de
t sign could be supplied at consideEabl,
}. lower price without sacrificing the eff
e cheney Of the light, and the probabilit.
f Is that we could furnish our own lamp
2 at from $3.50 to S.. accordingly as, tn
? globe or square design is used. = =
i =. ~. Asks Highest Price. ~
8 In this. connection it ii to be observe,
{ that the composing bid offered to tn
! city the option to buy the lamps at tn
, end of the year at the price of $3.50. Thi
' is a maximum or outside price, and tn
t city would probably acquire the lam
; heads even from the competitive bidde
| at lower price than Sc. This attractiv
q feature Is omitted from the Patterso
= company bid, altho the specification
l., | clearly invite an offer to sell the lam
: heads to the city at the end Of the con
q tract. This omission seems to me sig
I | nifcant Of desire on the part Of tina
+ company to maintain its hold upon tn
city by refusing to sell it's lamp heads
i and at the same time driving off othe
q bidders thru its advantage of owning tn
~ lamp heads already in place. This is don
g by reducing it's bid to point where
\ large margin Of profit is left to it as be
- ing already in place with It's lamp heads
4 and only a small profit would be left
- any competitor now coming In and in
stalling lamp heads Of it's own.
What Other Cities Pay.
~ Third. Cost of Maintenance. ACCORD
- ing to the report Of the lighting depar
w Hent Oh the Guy OF cleveland, the CO:
=. of maintenance In that city Is $6.12 p.
- lamp per year, or 1852 for the cost of
70 lamp head complete, with maintenance I,
" one year. Chicago maintains Its 1aml
10 heads at 1925 each per year. From tn
&c and the experience of other cities it
le clear that after lamp-head Is once pa
A. for the charge for maintence is not In e,
Is. cess Of s6.25 per lamp head per year, al
b. at that price the saving during one We;
ut for the city would be in the neighbo
re- hood of $4,000 to $4,000. That sum
IN almost sufficient to equip the city cor
: plete with lamp-heads, and they won
he then be the property of the city.
nd The annual expense for city Eighth
t. has grown with great rapidity in fl
c. years. In 1900 the appropriation for IL
o. purpose was $4,000, in 1901 $155,000,
he 1902 $4,000, in 1903 s174,00o, in 1s
s. $2O0,O00 and in 1905 $2S0,000. A part
as this increase Is due to the change to
tie every night and an alknight schedu
n but with all allowances on this accou1
r. the figures show a, large increase in
th cost of lighting the city. The taxpaye
as, are pleased with the incandescent ligl
to- ing SYSTEM, and no doubt would disli