The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-07-31
GAVIT To LOSE
HIS FRANCHISE? ?
Petition Is Being Circulated
To Compel Referendum
Traction Vote.
BIG FIGHT ON IN GARY
People Who Are With Steel Company
Will Show Their Teeth
at the Ants.

The Gary traction problem is far
from settled if the attorneys for the
United States Steel corporation are able
to carry out their plans to compel the
taking of a referendum vote on the
matter of the awarding of the fran
chises
1t has been discovered that the town
board of Gary does not have such
complete control of the situation as
appeared. Knots and his followers
who are believed to have been instru-
mental in giving Frank Gavit the
franchise. are not expected to be so
much of a factor in the situation as
they have been and there Is no ques-
tion as to public sentiment.
There is a law which provides that
is the people are opposed to the grant
ing of franchise and can secure a
petition signed by a majority of the
voters within thirty days of the date
OF the passage of the ordinance ask
ing for a referendum vote, an cleo
tion shall be held to determine the
public policy in the matter.
Thirty days have not passed since
the passage of this ordinance and to-
day petitions are being circulated
{
/ them to favor the referendum.
Steel Co. Franchise the FavOrite.
! As is generally known, the Gavit
| franchise was passed in the face of
! general sentiment in favor of the
Steel company's franchise. The towr
/ trustees totally ignored petitions anC
mass meetings and did their own swee-
will regardless of the cIamor of tn,
populace.
Now the officials of the steel corpora
ton feel confident of their ability t.
| defeat the Gavit measure If it eve
comes to a referendum vote The peo
/ pie in Gary are said to be with the stee
corporation heart and soul. They know
they have prospered because they hav'
all cooperated to build a city that viii
be the pride of the whole country.
1t is predicted they will stand b.
the steel company almost to a man an.
that when the people find that there i
yet a chance to save the ordinance 70
the Gary and the Steel company thei
suppressed indigna tion will be felt.
From present indications the stree
railway system. of Gary will be operate
by the people who have brought thei
town into eXistance.
Mr.. Knapp of the firm of Knapr
Haynie and Campbell in speaking o
the matter this morning said that tn
people of Gary have been waiting 70
nearly a month to see some indicatio
that the new company was to be fin
anced and so far there does not seer
to have been any progress made.
Mr. Knapp Talks.
THE United States Steel corporatio
cannot run its mills" said Mr.. Knapp
unless it has some means of trans
porting the working men, who will b
employed there, TO their work" q
we can have no assurance that Mr.. Cav
II will finance his line and build it
continued Mr.. Knapp, steps should b
taken to have some one else build tn
line.
I'VE have given the owners of IL
= franchise plenty of time to do thing
and so far as we can determine theI
has been nothing done. The referer
dunn will give the people chance
determine whether they want thes
men to speculate with Il concession
! this kind or whether they want a roa
built at once that will take them
and from their work.