The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1911-08-17
SIX YEARS CONTRACT
Ordinance Adopted Authorizing the
Mayor to Sign the Agreement for
Street Lighting.

At the session Of the City Council
held today, adjourned from August
10, the resolution Of which the fol-
lowing is a copy, was adopted:
1.-The resolution authorizing the
Mayor to sign the six years contract
with the Shreveport Gas, Electric
Light and Power Company for street
lighting, which passed first reading
August 9, 1911, was read as in first
reading, and, as read, adopted by the
following vote:
Ayes-Atkins, Eastman, Fullilove,
Mccullough and Rives-5.
Nays--none.
As provided by Standing Rules
for the Government of the City
Council, section i3, reads:
"Time and Place of Regular Meet
ings-Regular meetings of the Coun-
Gil shall be held on the second and
fourth Tuesdays of each month, and
the hour of meeting shall be 10 am.
All meetings of the Council shall be
held in the council chamber of the
city hall unless otherwise provided" !"
Was the meeting held today a reg
ular or an adjourned meeting?
If the rule is interpreted correct
ly, the agreement should have been
delayed until next meeting.
From the first reading on August
Q to the reading today, August i6,
there are only eight days. There are
enactments which require a full le-
gal publication without counting the
first and the last days of the publi-
|cation.
AT this stage of the game trifling
technically may be of little conse-
quence.
Now that the contract has been
signed, it is assumed that the Mu-
nicipal Ownership League will be-
gin action on referendum of the
proposed contract.
At this time it may be Of general
interest to observe that the first
contract for lighting submitted to
the Council February IA was for one
year, the price being $75 for street
lights and 10 lac per XIV. for con-
sumers according to the quantity
fused, with discount. There was
also a contract for considera-
tion for four years, at price OF
S75 per year for street lights, and
lprices for consumers as used. On
February % the price offered was
reduced to s68 for street lights and
from 10 lac to iOctwith discount to
consumers as used, and finally after
a long contention with the Citizens
Committee the price for street lights
was scaled to S62.50 and Size to
CONSUMERS according to quantity
used.
At the outset the committee in
sisted on street lights being $50 and
rate To- consumers Sc.
Opposition to the contract, S62.5O
for street lights and 8 t-2c to con-
sumers, was to the time, six
years, provided it would be stip-
lulated that in the event the
city acquired its electric light
plant the contract with the lighting
company would cease. If this be not
the exact wording, it is at least the
intent. At this time the Citizens
Committee and the Council were al-
lmost within the reach Of an agree
ment, and to their surprise there
/ was presented at the session of the
Council held August 9. a substitute
for the preceding contract, a new
lmatter OF which the citizens had ne
knowledge until published.
/ In the preceding contract there Il
no mention of the city acquiring any
Ipart of the electric light plant if i
should see fit.
II The contention was directed a
1.-THE length of the contract, six years
Ifor the reason that such a contrac
would probably tie up the city han'
land foot. It was insisted that th,
city should be left free and unham
; |pered, and that the Council shoul
q not contract for a greater time tha
their term of. office, four years, min
ii months of which have been filled.
4 Tn time this issue may be referre
to the qualified electors for settle
Iment.
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