The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-08-30
GIVE CITY HALL
LIGHT PLANT
CONTRACT
Lowest Bid, S2S,9O4, Accept.
Reference to Engine
Makers Combine.

The special lighting committee of Com
mon Council last night formally agreed
to award TIE contract for the installation
of the long-talked of municipal lighting
plant In City Hall to E. M. Waldron &
Co.. of this city. the lowest bidder. The
Waldron Company's bid for the work was
$2S, 904.
As soon as Common Council has ap-
proved of the. committees action and the
Mayor has signed the contract the work
Of installing the plant will be started.
The decision was reached after consid-
cradle discussion by the committee and
a representative Of the successful bidders.
Several members Of the committee were
DESTROYS Of knowing the make of the en-
gines and generators which would be in-
stalled before the contract was awarded,
while the contractors maintained that to
divulge this Information at the present
time would be unbusinesslike and might
enforce a hardship upon them in a hnan-
cial way. 1t was understood at the close
of the meeting that generators OF the
Westinghouse Electric, General Electric,
Sprague Electric or Croker Wheeler make
would be used, and that preference would
be given to local engine builders for the
engines, other things being equal.
Something in the nature of a combine to
maintain high prices was alleged-by the
representatives of e. M. Waldron & Co, who
announced that although several local en-
GIN builders had been invited to submit
bids on the engines to be installed, only
one manufacturer in the city made a bid
to e. M. Waldron & Co., the others re-
fusing to name their figures. IL WINS
thought that this was a part OF a general
scheme on the part OF local manufacturers
to shut out Il. M. Waldron & Co. from the
bidding, as it is understood that the hrms
which refused to name a figure TO the
Waldron company submitted estimates 70
other bidders. The only local engine build
ers which submitted an estimate to the
Waldron concern was the Watts-CampbeH
Company. Although an attempt was made
by the committee to ascertain III this make
of engine would be used, 1t was unsuccess-
full. Alderman MCGOWAN, chairman OF
the committee. defended the position or
the Waldron Company. and corrooorated
their statement that only one local bid
had been obtained on the engines, al
| though several concerns had been asked to
| submit estimates.
Alderman Mann said that while he
was not opposed to awarding the
contract to the Waldron company,
he wished to know what makes or
| generators would be used. AS four makes
Of generators were named In the specifica-
tions, he thought 1t would be only fair TO
know which one the contractors purposed
using. He wanted the very best equipment
obtainable placed In the City Hall, and
cited a case which he had investigated
where an electric plant similar to the pro-
posed municipal plant Had been In continu-
Gus operation for six years and n half, and
the cost of repairs had amounted to only
$12.20.
Alderman J. A.. Meyer took the same
stand and included the engines In the In
quiry. He wanted local manufacturers
favored so far as possible, and In this all
the committee concurred.
james Seymour, consulting engineer in
charge of the work, said that the
contractors should not be called on
to dlvulge the name of the par
ticular make Of generator or engine, as
this would be unfair because of the fact
that they had several bids, and that none
of the bidders on this material knew which
enc was lowest, 1t would not be policy to
announce the lowest at this time, inos-
much as the estimate had not been formal
ly accepted by the Waldron Company, and
there was nothing to prevent these manu-
f%acturers from raising the price should it
| become binding on the contractor to use
that type of machine, said Mr.. Seymour.
Aldermen Biertuempfel and Frey did not
think 1t necessary to let the contract IL
there was to be any mlsundersta nding as
to getting the best equipment installed.
On being assured by the contractors that
this would be done, and on being informed
by the chairman hat the plant could be
rejected if 1t did not come up to specifca-
tons, they silenced their objections and
made the award unanimous.
The time limit specified in the bid is
seven months from the date of the con-
tract, but the bidders say that this time
will be reduced somewhat. The delivery
of the material will require from three to
four months.