The Washington herald., 1907-01-11

in order if possible 10 reduce the price
Of the fncandescent gas lighting 10 such
a point as would make il possible 70
change over all the old fat-hame gas
lan,ps 10 incaudescent burners. The OBJ
ject was to increase the illumination
nearly trebling it. since the hat-ilame
burner was p candlepower and the In
candescent burner is 60 candIepower, with
only "a small increase in cost
Advertised for Bids.
Accordingly. the Commissioners adveT-
tised for bids for the incandescent gas
lighting. proposals 10 be made both on
the one-year and the three-year basis
On the one-year basis the bidders asked;
American street Lighting Company .......... S2J99
Cleveland street Lighting Company ..--------- ~
Union Lighting Company. ...-.------------ -3lo
ron the three-ycar basis the bidders
asked:
American Street Lighting Company sos
Cleveland Street Lighting Company. -l17
Union Lighting Company ny--...----------------- -y'
by the three-year contract we really
save s215 per lamp. which amounts 20
over $l5.oo0 per annUm for the number oi
lamps now maintained.
'Thereup9n the Commissioners very
properly awarded the contract To the low
est bidder on the three-year basis 10 the
American Lighting Company. of Balti-
more. and ] would gladly have voted for
such action ii 1 had been here.
Have Better Lights.
TN consequence. for two dollars and Il
half more per lamp per year we have
the present greatly improved illumina-
ton Of the streets and avenues OF the
city Of Washington. including George
town I may add that this was an im-
portant part OF the plans for the general
Improvement Of the lighting OF the Dis
trict prepared by Mr. ". C. Allen, our
electrical engineer. whose Office comes
under my direct supervision. in accord
ance with our desire 70 steadily improve
the lighting conditions here, and that. per
sonaliy, I took great pleasure En- advocat-
ing and explaining it 20 the Committee
on Appropriations Of the two Houses and
I'm the action of Congress authorizing it
10 be done
Congress hrst authorized the Commis-
sioners 20 enter into three-year contracts
for gas and raphtha lighting I'm the ap-
priation bin for the fiscal year ended
June 2o 1876. az that time limiting the
price that could be paid FOR incdudesctnt
mantle lamps 90 SIS per lamp per an
mum. and for tue fat flame gas lamps at
SO Under this authority the C0mmis-
siouers advertised for the former system
OF lighting with the result that only one
bid was submitted. the figures being
S2iS per lamp on a one-year contract,
and $3.50 on d three-year contract These
bids were rejected. as they We're too high.
the appropriation not being sufficient 20
maintain even the then existing number
of inca ndescsnt lamps at the lower price.
Bids were again asked for maintaining
the then existing Welsbach lamps. with
the result that a contract was secured at
$3.50 for one year for 95S lamps
Received Two other Bids.
Two other bids were submitted. one Of
S25.q5 and the other OF S26.
The following is quoted from the hear
ings before the subcommittee of the
House Com mttee on Appropriations in
charge of the District appropriation bill
for the present hscaI year. page 6l7:
In referring to the clause, in the draft
OF the proposed appropriation bin, TO give
the Commissioners authority to enter
into three-year contracts, Mr.. Gillett said.
I have here an appropriation author
izing you to enter into either one-year or
three-yaar contracts for any OF the sys-
TENS of lighting that you use
THAT was put in in order 10 get better
terms. believing that under a three-year
contract We might get better terms. This
is, Of course. both Welsbach lighting, gas
and naphtha.
AT previous times in this hearing ref
ercnces We're made 20 the Commissioner.
attempts to secure satisfactory rates for