The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-17
SAYS PATTERSON
BID IS NOT RIGHT
MAYOR JONES REGARDS TT AS
UNFAIR TO CITY.
BY Paying High Price for Street Light
ing for Two Years the City Has Vir-
tually Bought the Patterson Company
an Entire Supply of Lampheads, Says
the Executive.

In discussing the recent decision Of
the district court anent the council
method Of awarding contracts and the
effect Of the decision with reference to
the contract with the Patterson Street
Lighting company for incandescent
lighting in this city Mayor David T.
Jones today expressed the opinion that
the offer Of the Patterson company was
unfair to the city.
Gin the two years in which the Pat
terson company has had the incandess..
cent lighting contract in this city,. !"
said Mayor Jones, 'sfthe city has paid
for all the lampheads, and this is easily
susceptible of proof, yet the company
has not seen fit to give the city any
substantial benefit in the third year g
contract in return for its generosity.
what [ shall have to say when the Pat
terson contract comes before me in
regular way, it is proper to say that /
do not consider the Patterson bid one
that should be accepted. -
4 In Other Cities.
HAfter a careful investigation Of the
| subject Of incandescent lighting in Chi,
cago and Cleveland I find that lamp
heads of the same. or as good design
as those in this city can be secured IN
| Chicago for $3.50 each or less, and In
! Cleveland at a much lower figure. If 8
square lamphead is used instead Of the
cylindrical or boulevard kind used here
the price can be reduced still more
The Patterson company purposes tc
charge the city 1925 a year for each
light year after the city has virtually
presented the company with full sup
ply Of lampheads. [ can come to only
one conviction, and that is that thu
public money is foolishly spent under
such an arrangement. H.. =
f. "Regarding the matter Of governors
on the incandescent device, of which
SO much has been said in the debate,
have ascertained from competent au
thority that the use Of the governors Ii
of no practical economic benefit TO Min
n,eapo1is, as it does not save gas unde1
our contract, They equalize the pres
sure ana in this manner save the wreck
! age of mantles and are attached by the
contractors for reasons of economy OF
that account. Governors are not used IL
many cities, because they are of no rea
economic value. -
/ The Company's Failure.
:, "Of raore Importance to the pu5li
~ this MAJ ter is the failure of the ,. t
J terson company to comply with tn
}, Specifications calling for proposals 70
} the sale of the lampheads to the cit,
at the.close Of the contract period. Min
J neapolis, thru the council, should max
use of the present opportunity to secur
incandescent lampheads for all the ga
lights in the city. The city must ow,
} them in order to save from $4,000
100000 a year in street lighting. I
} is practical, safe and sane way to ar
proash municipal ownership in the mat
ter of street lighting and is one Of tn
} steps The council might well take i
this movement:
1--WE must face this problem in fou
. years, when the franchise of the Mime i,
apolis Gas Light company expires. Tax
payers and the citizens generally mus
} be prepared for the emergency and tn
present situation offers an excel]en
opportunity to take the first step.
Must Be Looked Into.
"If The Patterson contract comes t
0 mc sgain will be able to express III
0 views more fully, but the dissatisfaction
condition Of affairs today leads me t
{ believe that the whole question mus
be carefully Looked into. / have n
personal interest in any competing biz
ders, but I don't want the city to a
tach itself year after year to propos
tion which is SO costly to the taxpayer
: The longer the Patterson company
3 permitted to retain the lighting col
E tract in this city, the more firmly
8 will be established here and the cit
$ will approach the point-if it has M
! already done so--where competition
< the matter Of bidding on the street ligh
. ing will be stifed.
t WPersonally / take no gratifcatio
: over the decision Of the district cour
$ Had the court ruled otherwise I woul
have cheerfully accepted the Gctur
e as it would have relieved me PERSONAL
: of great load Of responsibility in rel
e tion to the expenditure Of vast sums
t nnhlic money 49, sszss