Omaha daily bee., 1916-10-03
COUNCIL SANCTIONS
LIGHTING CONTRACT
Chairman Butler Records Only
Dissenting Vote on Five
Year Agreement.
HOWELL Anglers MAYOR

The city council committee of the
whole, Chairman Butler dissenting,
voted to recommend for passage
Tuesday morning, a fve-year street
lighting contract in favor OF the Oma-
ha Electric Light and Power COM
pany.
The rates will be; Lights hung by
suspension or from cross-arms and
served by overhead wires, $5l per
annum; single light on ornamental
post and served by conduit system,
$50 per annum; two-light ornamental
posts, sos per annum,
1t is proposed to install l,07l more
lights than are now maintained; to
replace present old-style are lamps
with acknowledgement Mazda lamps
and install this type Of lamp through
out the entire system.
Significant Provisos.
The contract contains this provis-
ion: 1t is further agreed that il the
city should, at any time during the life
of this contract, acquire all of the
property of the company. then future
profits, if any, which otherwise may
have been realized from the perform
ance OF this contract by the company
shall not be considered and allowed
as al item having any value to the
company"
1t is further provided that the city
shall expend annually for this street
lighting an amount not in excess of
the usual amount the city is author
lied to expend for street lighting pur-
poses" After the first installation
of the new lamps, according to plan
prepared by the city, change of To-
cations shall be made at the expense
of the city,
Butler Wants Time.
Chairman Butler of the committee
of the whole objected to the passage
OF the ordinance until he had been
able to make further Investigations.
Commissioner Jardine announced he
had been investigating street lighting
in other cities and he said: II see
no reason why we should not avail
ourselves at this time by getting
more street lighting for the same
amount we are now cxpending.'
Mayor Dahlman announced that
the electric light company will agree
without question to the recent 6-cent
rate ordinance if the city will grant
this street lighting contract.
Corporation Counsel Lambert ex-
planned that the fve-year street light
ing contract does not interfere with
the city's rights to condemn the light
plant and take it over at any time the
people so elect.
General Manager Howell of the
municipal water plant injected him
self into the proceedings and aroused
the mayor to caloric expressions.
u want to warn you gentlemen
that if you pass this contract you will
be playing into the hands of the light
company" said Mr.. Howell.
I That is just what | thought Mr..
Howell was going to say. ] want him
TO confine himself to this contract"
interrosed the mayor. who previously
tried to apply silencer to the water
plant manager.
IF you do not watch out, the light
company will put something over on
you, and YOU will be sorry when it is
too late,' continued Mr.. Howell.
Tilt Of Tongues.
The water plant boss urged the
council to- wait until the legislature
meets and makes it possible to have
a light plant in connection with the
water system. That aroused the mayor
again. He replied:
That talk doesn't go with me. |
am not in favor of your little dinky
competing plant. The people have a
right to take the light company's
plant any time they want to take it,
and when they get ready they will
take it by condemnation proceedings
and not by the method you used when
you took over the water plant"
Nov, Mr.. Mayor, ! believe you are
sincere. Some OF the things that have
been said about me are not true" re-
torted Howell.
The discussion extended into the
ramifications of city ownership. The
mayor charged Mr.. Howell with cost
ing the city millions of dollars
through his nine years of litigation in
connection with the purchase of the