Seattle Tries to Halve Its Street-Light Bill

At the meeting of the city council last night the most important business was a new and more economical system of lighting the streets, which came up for consideration before the board of aldermen. It is the intention to cut the cost of street lights in two. The city is now paying $42,000 a year for lights, and it is proposed to pay but $21,000 hereafter. Systems or plans, both incandescent and arc and the two combined, will be acted upon, and after all the specifications are concurred in a call for bids will be advertised.

In the board of aldermen, a resolution approving the plans and specifications for lighting the streets from October 1, 1894, to October 1, 1895, and authorizing the board of public works to receive proposals based on them was discussed, and the board went into committee of the whole. Mr. Thomson explained the plans and the manner in which it is proposed to light the city, stating that the proposed arc and incandescent systems would cost about $21,000 a year less than is being paid now. Dr. F. C. Kilbourne was not satisfied with the manner in which the city wanted to award the lighting contract. He said there was a string to it and the city held the string; the company would be bound by the contract, but the city could break it at any time. Two plans were considered, one proposing the use of the arc system alone and the other the arc and incandescent systems combined.

Sweeney moved to amend plan B so that there be an additional incandescent light on Villard and Chester streets. He moved that plan A be amended to have an additional arc light at May and Villard streets; carried. He moved that in plan B there be an arc light at Sixth and Bell instead of at Lombard and Depot streets, and to do away with incandescents at the corners of Bell and Fifth, Bell and Sixth and Battery and Sixth, placing an arc at Sixth and Bell; carried.

A motion was carried that an incandescent light be placed at the corner of Adams and Kenton. Lovejoy strenuously protested against reducing the number of lights in the Ninth ward, as proposed. It would be almost impossible for his ward to get along with the number of lights proposed. All the ward had ever received from the city was the lights. Jordan said the city gave the ward plenty of light because it had money, but now it was necessary to cut down expenses. He said he never looked after any particular ward, but worked in the interests of the entire city. There was no use in the city going into debt in order to give such a ward the number of lights it desired. Lovejoy said the Ninth ward had no desire to be left in darkness. After further talk the committee reported progress and the board dropped the question for the evening.

When the board reconvened Sweeney explained that he deemed it best to get the plans and specifications before the bidders at the earliest possible date in order that they could send in their bids. The plans might be defective in some minor points, but after the bids were received and any additional lights were needed the city could make provision for them with the lucky bidder. Lovejoy said the city knew at present what additional lights were needed, and there was no necessity for waiting until the bids were opened. Compton moved as an amendment to the committee of the whole's report that the plans and specifications as recommended by the board of public works and city engineer be adopted. The amendment failed to carry. The committee of the whole's report with amendments was then adopted, and the house of delegates will now be asked to concur.

A petition of residents along Rainier Street that the street be improved and graded to permit of street-car service was read. Compton said that several months ago the aldermen reported favorably on a similar petition, but that it died in the house of delegates. Anderson reported that the street was in bad condition. President Millar was appointed a committee of one to look after the matter.