Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-06-14

report, which is omitted on direction
of committee
Mr.. Spinks: In the Colorado
Springs case what was the ampere of
those lamps?
Mr.. Belts: Six and six-tenths.
And as a result rs ampere lamps
were put in.
Mr.. Spinks What was the decision
of the arbitrators in the Colorado
Springs case?
Mr.. Belts They made them &C
cept. They made the company ac-
cept 20 per cent reduction.
Mr.. Spinks: And | understand
thew were holding back some money
and the interest on that amounted up
to about 10 per cent?
Mr.. Belts: For a good many years
thew paid the bills without question,
and then somebody did question 1t
and they employed experts on both
sides. II is the celebrated case. Here
it is in my report. Breads from re-
port; omitted as directed.)
Mr.. Spinks That is just the posi-
ton we are in here.
Mr.. Belts: That | will agree to,
but not from this standpoint. | want
to read in this connection some cor
respondence which | have here. This
first letter which | read is from Mr.
Waller and is dated August %, 1907.
(Here reads letter; omitted as d.
rected.) Here is letter from the
company, dated August 20. l9ot.
Read, but omitted from report.)
Here is my reply to the letter from
Mr.. Waller; it is addressed to ). b.
Waller and is dated September l0.
Omitted as directed.)
Mr.. Spinks: You did not state
that that was 1000 candle power
lamp, but that it is generally con-
sidered so.
Mr.. Belts: Yes, sir. There are
some things I want to state about
that letter.
Mr.. Spinks (interrupting) mat
was the nearest thing TO 1t, was IL!
You don't state that it was.
Mr.. Belts: No. sir, because | nave
previously stated that there is no
such thing as a 1000 candle power
lamp.
MIR. Spinks: My reason for saying
this is: We are not electricians, none
of us. was a member of the City
Council at the time when this con-
tract was made. Mr.. MandeViiie
stated to this Council that they
would furnish 1000 candle power
lamps.
MIR. Belts: He was talking in the
old fashioned way.
Mr.. Spinks: He agreed to give us
something he could not give us!
Mr.. Belts: | don't suppose ne
ever thought of this
Mr.. Spinks: Don't you think 1t
would have been more honest thing
on the part of the original company
to have put in rs ampere light in
stead of Go ampere light?
MIR. Belts: You did not get it at
first. Not until the time they put IN
the new coils. In this letter 10 Mr..
Waller. which is dated September lO,
YOU will see that. and in the latter
mart of October MIR. Darrah came up
TO me and asked me for letter and
here is a copy of my letter to him. 1t
is addressed to A. J. Darrah. READS
letter, which is omitted.) You see
what | said: You are in position
to live up fully TO the terms OF your
contract" The point | want to make
is this: Some changes were MADE IN
the arc lamps and regulators, and one
evening | think Mr.. Dunn telephoned
me and | came over and went down
TO the plant, and carried down an
amnere meter and checked them up
on their switch board, and | was sat
isfied the meters read within very
small fraction of being correct.
Mr.. Spinks: Seven and five-tenths!
Mr.. Belts: Yes, found those IN
struments correct. They were using
is amperes.
MIR. Spinks: This time is the only
time after the electric light company
had been started, and they had stated
that they had complied with the rec.
concentrations that you made and
this examination of their plant was
made in the night time?
Mr.. Belts: No, sir made a
, good many.
Mr.. Spinks: You recommended
that it be accepted?
Mr.. Belts: | recommended to Mr.
, Uhler, the chairman of the Llgh'
Committee, that the work be accept
ed The work that had been done VI
TO that time.
Mr.. Spinks: think you said that
there is such thing as boosting the
current. Did you make an eXamlna
tion of the lights on the streets!
Mr.. Belts: We looked al them
YOU can't examine the lamps. we
, satisfied ourselves that there were
+ rs amperes going through those CIR
} cults.
Mr. Spinks: You don't know
? whether since that time there ma:
r been 10 going through?
: Mr.. Belts: Oh, yes. Those lamps
S have been operated at 10 amperes
.. No question about that. | am telllns
e YOU they are 10 amperes. agree
e with YOU that the service has no
: been satisfactory. That it never ma
been satisfactory. a short time a1te
e this. along in December, | got let
ter from Mr.. Matthews. Here Is
r letter addressed to Messrs. Matthew
S and McIver. | don't consider TINS l
private correspondence between my
e self and the company necessarily.
feel that | have always occupied al
: entirely unbiased ground in thl
;. thing. in acting for the city original
5 ". You will find that all the expert
a will say that have taken the groun
p which is the only ground TO take
:; The original lamp was not the llgh
r that was agreed to, and | said ina
a when the 10 lamp was installed tina
l. then the company would be in a pos
ton to live up TO the terms OF its con
tract. had a talk some time IN IN
y middle of the summer with these pee
pie and said that this company ma
n never been from the start handle
IS satisfactorily. and | had little cor
versation with them one day with II
10 gard TO taking up the management