The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-01
He Has Inaugurated "A Movement to
Combine Hammond, East Chicago,
Indiana Harbor and Whiting.
REFERENDUM is A FEATURE
SYSTEM CONTEMPLATED IMPLIES
DIRECT POPULAR GOVERNMENT.
Opposition to Plan Expected from
Standard OIL Company-Political
News and Notes.

Lake City, with a population of $1,000
and an area of thirty square miles, en-
bracing the present cities of Hammond,
Whiting, East Chicago and Indiana Har-
Dor, is the dream of Mayor A. F. Knots.
of Hammond, who was in the city yester-
day. Mayor Knots stated that he had
already started a campaign for the incor-
poration of the four cities as one under the
name of Lake City, and that he had met
with encouragement from every man with
whom he had talked on the subject. Fur
thermore, he announced that on his return
home to-day he would start out to make
speeches urging the consolidation in every
section of the four cities, and he would
put the finishing touches on the bill grant
ing a special charter for the new city which
he will have introduced early in the ap-
preaching session of the Legislature.
This charter will embody one feature
that has never been tried in any other city
than Hammond, and that is that all ques-
tions of public policy and interest shall be
referred to the people," said Mr.. Knots
last evening. 81 made my campaign for
mayor of Hammond on a platform the
main plank of which was a pledge that L
would see that the referendum was adopt
ed, and L have made good that pledge
Since last September we have had COM
mittee of 100 citizens of Hammond, repre-
senting every section and every interest in
the city, to which is referred all public
questions. When a matter is brought be-
fore the City Council it is referred to this
committee. The committee has sub
committee of eleven members which meets
with a committee of five from the City
Council to consider the question. 1t makes
its report to the general committee, which
takes the final action and reports to the
Council. The action of the Council is
guided by the report of the citizens COM
mittee.
GOVERNMENT BY THE PEOPLE.
Under this system the city has a gov
eminent of the people, by the people and
for the people, that Is everything that that
classic phrase can mean. The city Off
Gals are merely the agents of the people
and they cannot take any arbitrary action
against the consensus Of opinion of the
people of the city. OF course. under the
present laws the Council is not bound to
obey the dictates of the citizens committee,
but it does-that is part Of my pledge
and when we get a new charter for our
| new city the referendum feature Will be
| embodied and made legal and compulsory.
| If we fail to consolidate the four cities
we shall ask for the special charter for
| Hammond.
I'VE shall meet with some opposition to
| the consolidation from the Standard Oil
| Company, which owns and controls Whit
| ing, but we shall see that the question is
| left to the vote of the people. Whiting
| may not come in with us, but l am salts
| fed that the citizens of East Chicago, In
| diana Harbor and Hammond are anxious
/ to see the combination effected. The four
cities are now divided only by streets
| and one central government means great
| saving to the taxpayers.
4 1.-The Calument canal bill will be nitro
/ duced, unless compromise is made with
| the railroads so that the canal can be
] built without action by the Legislature
/ The canal is bound to come. 1t may take
/ time but we shall keep hammering away
| at il until we win. Then keep your eye
| on Lake City-it will become one of the
| greatest industrial centers in the West
| The factories are coming our way now anC
| we shall have all that we can handle wher
the canal is once opened
Mr. Knots is an enthusiast on the sub
ject of the referendum as he has intro
duced it in the government of Hammond
| and on Jan. IL he will deliver an address!
| on the subject before the Commercial Clui
| in this city.