The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-05-15
Chicago Tribune Prints Edi-
torial Along Lines Sug-
gested by Times.
GARY IS THE THEME
Points Out Fact That Steel Trusts
Ownership of Public Utilities
Is Only Way.

The agitation of the question Of who
was to control the public utilities of
Gary. has interested a great many peo-
pie outside of the town Of Gary and
the final awarding of the important
franchises to the United States Steel
interests has brought out much inter
esting comment from the press not
only of Indiana, but of Chicago.
THE LAKE COUNTY TIMES on May 8
printed an editorial in which it was
pointed out that the ordinances We're
entirely fair to all concerned.
This morning the Chicago Tribune
follows the line of argument laid down
by this paper in an editorial that is a
justification of the United States Steel
company's right to own and control
the public utilities of Gary. The edi-
torials follow:
From THE TIMES May s:
Some cities and towns, like individ-
uals, were born under a lucky star, and
Gary seems to have been doubly for
tunate in this respect. The town rs
soon to have installed the most elab-
crate and costly system of public utili-
ties, at no cost to itself of building and
maintaining, ever offered to munich
pality. Water works heating and light
ing facilities and an up to date trac-
! tion system that will put to blush the
| cities and towns of the surrounding
| country are offered by the United States
! Steel corporation to the trustees of the
| town free of charge. and for what?
Merely for the granting of the privi-
/ lege of the use of the streets for the
purpose of installing the same. What
other municip&ity was ever offered
/ I'M hn lima
that will come before the board of
trustees of Gary for the granting to the
Gary Heat, Light and Water company
for thel right and privilege of INSTALL
/ ing, acquiring and maintaining a water
works plant, an electric lighting and
heating plant and to the Gary & Ham
mond company the privilege of placing
on the streets an up to date traction
company, are the fairest ever offered
| to a municipality, large or small. They
do not ask any ninety nine year lease;
they even state that after a few years
the town or city may buy the property
and fixtures at a price to be decided
upon by the city itself. The granting
of these ordinances will mean that Gary
will take strides towards advancement
in a few days that it has taken larger
cities years to accomplish at a great
/
of all branches will increase in proper
ton. Trustees, do not delay in
making your town the seventh wonder
of the world"
From The Tribune today:
The citizens of the new town of
Gary, Ind. have decided to turn the
public utilities of the town over to the
steel company. There is no possible
objection to that If the grant is not
made for too many years
The trusts are now the objects OF
scorn and derision. They are fair
marks at which every idle archer may
let fly his arrow. But the situation at
Gary, Ind, is peculiar The steel COM
pany bought the ground on which
Gary stands when it was a sand heap
There was nothing there. There were
no citizens and no thought of town.
There were no agricultural possibilities
and nobody thought of the place as
useful for manufacturing purposes.
The steel company picked out the
site partly because it was in Indiana
removed from the harassing attacks OF
the state and municipal authorities OF
i Illinois, and partly because it was not
easy to get elsewhere a tract of land
so advantageously situated and large
and compact enough for the company s
| purposes. Having chosen the site and
made arrangements for the construc-
tion Of immense works and the crea-
ton of q town which will be compose ed
almost wholly of persons employed ir
: the steel mills, it is not unreasonable
to give the company the control of the
public utilities for a reasonable time
say for twenty years
The company wants to control the
utilities not for purpose of profit. but
To keep them out of the hands of spec
ulators and "holdup" men. 1t is much
better that the company should con
troll them temporarily than that some
outsiders should acquire them by
bribery or trickery and derive large
profits from them as an investment.
The company should be permitted tc
control the public utilities for a limited
period in the interest of its own work
S ers 1t is not desirable that the grant:
should be of indefinite duration. or tha
:; the powers OF the company should b,
e made too extensive. The grants should
D be carefully guarded and will be. i
e there is anybody in Gary who has tn,
I opportunity and the courage to stan,
up against the steel company
There are scarcely any permanen
e citizens" in Gary as yet. The rights L
n be guarded are those of citizens i,
n posse. not those of persons who liv
h and do business in Gary. or who ex
: pect to stay there indefinitely Th
: only persons there now are the men en-
: gagged in putting up the works an
e those who get a livelihood by min
|. istering to their wants"