The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1909-03-11
Voiceof thePeople
PROPOSES A DITCH.


Editor, THE TINES
There is a project on foot to con-
struct a drain from st. John north to !
the Kady marsh ditch, which, If con-
structed, will drain great amount Of
wet and overlooked land, which at the |
present time is unfit for cultivation and
not worth much for any other purpose. !
A great many drains have been con- |
structed in Lake county and have in
some cases doubled the value of farms
containing wet lands, and in many
cases trebled the value of the lands
through which they pass AS rule
the low wet lands are the most fertile
and productive of any land in the coun-
ty, If properly drained, but In their
wet and overflowed condition are prac-
tically worthless.
It is not an unusual thing to hear
land owners say. that when a certain
ditch was proposed, 1T will simply be
out of the question to build the ditch
1t will cost too much and we can't az
ford it, besides I will not be benefited
very much anyway"
Then. after the ditch is completed,
you will hear the same men say that
they have benefited twice as much
the ditch cost, and would not be with
out 1t for double the amount that it
cost.
The reason for this, that upon the
undertaking of the construction of
drain the first element of the PROPOSE
ton to be faced in its actual proper
tions, is the cost that will be assessed
on the lands benefited, while the other
elements, while the other elements,
| the benefits to be desired by the land
owners are not seen in their actual
proportions until the drain is com
pleted and the improvements to the
land can be ascertained in hundreds of
dollars that crops bring and the in
crease in the price of the land, then the
cost which at first seemed so large,
becomes insignificant.
This proposed drain, if constructed,
will pass close to the center of Grif-
fifth on the west. This will mean a
great deal to the town of Griffith. Not
only would it be a complete drainage
to the town, which of itself would be
worth more than the cost on account
of the increase in usefulness of the
land for all purposes and the add
, tiona1 value of property in the mar
ket, but it will be the means whereby
the town of Griffith would be given an
r outlet for all its sewage. The physi-
cal location of city or town with
reference to sanitation, under which
comes drainage and the disposal OF
sewage, is one of the most important
and controlling elements of the future
success and growth OF a municipality
The sewage problem is one which al
towns and cities have had a great dea
4 of trouble over, and in most cases +
has involved thousands of dollars
which had to come out of the taxpay
b ers' living in those cities and towns.
= The construction of this proposed
I drain would eliminate this problem IL
the town of Griffith, and leave 1t in
D position where it could at any tim'
k that 1t saw fit established a perfec
Q sewer system without any trouble o
: expense, as to the disposal of its sew
age. The town of Griffith, properl.
j. drained, with a perfect sewer system
9 added to it's present transportation ia
r cilities. can become one of the mos
- prosperous cities in Lake county and
y city in which property values woul'
steadily increase.
:, No other drain proposed or construc
ted could be Of more benefit to all TIL
territory to which they extend thai
Il would this drain, as now all the waite
will drain to Deep river and then t
Is the Calumet river, making in al thirty
l. six miles the alter has to run before
s. gets to APPOINT whereby the propose
y drain enters the Calumet river. the dis
,e lance Will be thirty-two miles less. O
only four miles to run.
IN A SUBSCRIBER.