The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-08-05
DEFER THE
REFERENDUM
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Continued from page IL
corner, fighting back. He rallied at the
steel corporation as though it was a
public enemy to be feared and claimed
that the steel company had deliberately
manufactured a public sentiment re-
garding the granting of the franchise.
He intimated that the people of Gary
were but puppets in the hands of the
officials of the steel corporation. The
inference was that the board of trustees
were saving the people, the working
people, an expression he frequently
used from their friends.
Tom KNOTS an AutOcrat.
All the while eX-policeman Tom
Knots sat in the presidents chair TAX
ing in the situation. His personality
was over all Attorney MeCracken,
who was representing the people and
who had presented the petition arose to
take exception to something that Mr..
Sears bad said. Knots snapped out,
sit down. you've had your say. ]
don't want any one interupting the
speaker Attorney McCracken- knew
the sultan had spoken. He sat down
meekly and did not venture another
remark during the afternoon. He re-
membered he was on the Isle of Bong
Bong.
The fact that 229 of the 3S1 voters of
Gary wanted the matter submitted to
a referendum vote that the state legis
lators had provided a means for giving
the people the right of preventing the
granting of franchises against their
wishes was ignored.
Every expression of opinion on the
part of Knots and Sears and Attorney
Westphal, who represented Gavit was
in the nature of an objection to the
referendum and a question as to wheth
er it could be avoided. Don't give the
people a chance at it If you can help
it. was the spirit of the whole meeting.
Ability to Finance Project Feared.
Gavit has a good franchise. Every
one admits that fact. But there are
great many people who doubt Gavits
ability to finance the project. They
are asking why it is that Gavit and
the board, which seems to be with him
body and soul are unwilling to submit
his proposition to the people If he has
the arguments to convince them that
the franchise is so much superior TO
that offered by the steel corporation.
The opinion of Town Attorney /. L.
Bomberger was finally sought as to
whether the statute regarding the ref
erendum was or was not repealed by
implication by the acts Of 1905. Mr..
Bomberger gave it as his opinion that
the law regarding the referendum was
not within the pervue of the acts of
1905 and was therefore not repealed by
them
Sparring for Time.
This did not satisfy President Knots.
1 He wanted written opinion He
wanted all of the authorities cited.
This was good ground for delay It
was planned to call another meeting
Wednesday afternoon and settle the
matter then.
After this important matter had been
settled a big tub Of soft soap was
brought in and the whole party lovingly
daubed themselves with it. Knots said
ne had great confidence in Mr.. Knapp,
that he had never lead the people of
Gary astray. Mr.. Knapp said simply
that he did not believe Mr.. Gavit could
build Garys traction system and ex-
tend it in advance of the needs Of the
city as the United States Steel corpora
ton could and that for that reason
he wanted that corporation TO get the
franchise
He said he regretted that there had
been any bitterness aroused in the con-
sideration OF the question and hoped
that board would consider the proposi-
ton from merely a business point OF
view.
Sears then began to "backwater" and
explain what he had said but it wa:
thought better TO drop the matter al
together and SO the meeting adjourned
The curtain went down with every
one in the show engaging in the ex-
change OF the glad hand" However
there is the sound Of whetting knive.
behind the scenes and the curtain vii
rise on act next Wednesday.