Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1913-11-13

proved system installed. This ac-
ton was taken by the Council in good
faith on the advice of their attorneys.
You, as an interested taxpayer and
your officers as public spirited citi
zens, witnessed the installation of the
boulevard system without protest.
The Council had no idea that you
would refuse to discontinue the lights
as requested, and when bids were So
licited for lighting the new system
you entered your bid. 1t is not con-
ceived at this time, nor at any time,
how you could have expected that the
Council contemplated paying for
double system, and yet you entered
your bid for lighting the new system.
Nor was any intmation given to the
Council that you would not discon-
tinue the lights as directed until the
city had entered into a contract with
other parties who were lower bidders
than yourselves for lighting the new
system.
Notwithstanding the lengthy argu-
ment recently published by you to
the contrary, the Council are still of
the opinion that the city had the
right TO have the eight lights dscon-
tinued as ordered, and have since re-
fused to pay you for such lights.
This item constitutes the remaining
portion of your bill as submitted, and
unless some compromise can be
reached regarding the whole matter,
there seems no course open but for
the contract of Oct. :, 1907, to be
passed upon by the courts. This
would involve expensive litigation,
no inconsiderable portion of which
expense your Company would be
called upon to pay in increased taxes.
In the meantime these eight lights
are shining nightly to little or no
purpose. The information has been
conveyed to you in many ways, that
the city is at this moment in need
of new lights to be placed in other
portions of the city, enough to use
the entire eight lights in controversy,
but the Council have not seen fit to
-rder them placed in the present UNI
settled state of this whole matter.
Offer has been made you to order
these lights placed elsewhere and to
pay the usual cost Of such removal,
under stipulation that the question
of the payment of this latter portion
of your bill, viz, payment for the use
OF the eight lights as above stated,
be left for future compromise or liti-
CATION. but to stop the present un-
called for duplication OF lights on the
main streets No definite answer has
been received as to this proposition.
1t is the desire of the Council that
this be accomplished. Your Com
pany will sell the same amount of
electricity to the city, and the citizens
will be better pleased with the dis
tribution thereof
In the meantime the Council rec
ognizcs that the lights have been in
operation on the streets in question,
and while powerless to do otherwise,
have been compelled to submit to the
use thereof This has seemed an en-
tirely useless duplication of lights,
but the fact would certainly be con-
sidered by the Council in any COM
promise settlement Of the question
which might later be arrived at The
Council do not, however, admit any
liability on the part of the city to pay
any part of such bill.
1t is conceived by the Council that
al ,,,ta r II
would be greatly furthered by a
prompt settlement of this matter. The
Council stand ready to enter into ne
gotations of a reasonable nature to
that end, and would welcome any sug-
gestions which may be advanced by
yourselves or others. AS matters
stand, lighting bill is piling up
which you expect to be paid. The
larger it gets the more expensive will
be its collection owing to the increas-
ing value at stake. AS time drags on,
the possibility of settlement becomes |.
more remote. In the meantime, cit ,
liens are not enjoying the lights
which the Council would gladly give |
them were this controversy disposed
of. This, and the continuance of the
condition which makes it impossible
for them to secure these lights, breeds
discomfort with both the Council and
yourself. The only possible benefit
to be derived from the situation. if
such could be termed benefit, is
that annoyances like these hastens
the day of municipal ownership, and
already such rumors are in the air.