The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-04-04
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When 1t developed at yesterdays
meeting of the Gary town board that
the Gary and Interurban Street Railwav,
company had failed to accept the franz
chise extension that had been granted
10 them month ago, on account Of
the forfeiture clause, one of the most
bitter fights developed between the at.
torneys for the Indiana Steel comna,,v
and the officials of the Street Railway
company that has yet occurred over
Gary's perplexing franchise problem.
Perhaps the most startling statement
was made by Attorney K. K. Knann
representing the interests of the great
steel corporation which has built Garv.
when asked for a frank statement of
his attitude towards the Gary and IN
terurban company spoke as above.
coming from man who has the In
terests and success of the entire Gary
project at heart. it has great Significance
TO the Gary business men who have
nearly reached the limit of their patti
ence in waiting for the building of
Gary's street railway system and who
are demanding now that the company
be held to the terms of its franchise:
+ me board meeting was called to or
der by President Tnornas =. KNOTS.
All or the members were present
Frank. Lemuel Darrow of Laporte ana
]. D. Price of the Cooperative constr,ie-
tion company, represented the Gary and
Interurban company while K. K. Knapr,
OF the law firm of Knapp, Haynie &
Campbell, represented the city. of Gary.
There are only. about twenty men
employed in the construction of the
Gary line and Mr.. Gavit was asked IL
he understood that the franchise would
be forfeited If the line was not COM
pleted by the first of June
Mr.. Gavit, in reply, stated that he
had never accepted the franchise ex-
tension and that at no time had be
agreed to the clause which provided for
the forfeiture of the franchise in the
event that the road was not completed.
This shed a great light on the whole
traction situation for it was the gem
eral belief at the time the extension
was granted that its terms were salts
factory to Gavit and his interests.
Mr.. Gavit said his company fully ex=
pected to finish the line and had ali of
the materials on hand with which to do
the work, but that he did not know of
a case where a street railway COM
pany had lived ur to the terms of it's
franchise to the letter and that usually
all the public desired was the evidence
of good faith.
Mr. Knapp replied that the company
would nave to Give UP to the terms
Of the franchise or get out" and he then
told the Gary and Interurban attorney
that it would not require a forfeiture
clause to compel them to get out The
breach of the contract would be suflA
cient but the clause was inserted to
make unnecessary legal action ana
further delays
Mr. Price, livid with anger, then
started out on TRADE against the
officials Of the steel company, the busi-
ness men of Gary and the Gary news- +
papers. He asked Mr.. Knapp why he p
did not take stock in the line and
Knapp said he had no faith in the conn
pany. He said the business men of
Gary were not interested in seeing the
line built and that not one of them
hac taken $500 worth Of stock in it,
Mr. Price then made the statement that
the newspapers of Gary had cost the
line $4,000 by their attacks on it and
by their unfavorable mention of its
activities
Mr.. Price continued bitterly, I'm spite
of opposition from all sides, the off,
cials of the Gary and Interurban COM
pany can look the people in the face
without blush.
The original purpose Of the meeting
was to consider the matter of the kind
of rails that were to be used Mr.
Knapp objected to the sixty pound to
the foot rails that We're being put in
and the difficulty of paving the street
on both sides of them was brought up.
The question of stringing the wires
of the Gary Light company. owned by
the Steel company. on the Gary and IN
terurban poles was taken up and Mr.
Knapp refused to deal with that COM
pany in any way whatsoever.
Any agreement said he, will have
to be made between the Light company
and the town board. The business men
of Gary are intensely Interested in the
controversy between the two contend
Ing parties but they are demanding
service at once
Another meeting of the board will be
held in the near future at which it is
expected that a settlement of some
kind or another will be made between
the town board and the street rails
way company.