The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1909-11-19

night might in a way be termed a com
promise between the east siders and the
city administration as far as it was
represented by Mayor Becker. The east
siders have planned for a long time
that some fifteen or twenty acres, just
south of the river and east of Columbia
I avenue. should be set aside for a gen
eral city park. Their claims are ac-
knowledged to be justified for the east
/ side has no park, but Mayor Becker
would not commit himself last night
to carry out their wishes to the limit.
He assigned several good reasons for
this, and they were quite acceptable.
especially since Mayor Becker did not
disapprove of park on the east side
entirely. Mayor Becker's position can
| best be given in his own words. He
said:
Breathing Place Among Factories.
Il can hardly say that I am for the
proposition at this time. You know that
the city treasury has been depleted
for many years and that we now have
a debt of $4,000 l will say that 1 ia
vor small parks above large ones. Small
parks can be more conveniently located
and a proper distribution will accom-
modate more people than a general
par A park of ten acres would seem
/ large enough to ue for the east side
1t is a question of many parks instead
of a large park. But there is another
side to this. That of the river frontage
which in course of time will be second
| in value only to the business district
property. The river frontage is the
logical place for factories and they are
bound TO locate there for the water
They are working now on the Indiana
Harbor canal, and as soon as the Calu-
met river drains into the lake the fac
tories will spring up along the river
The land which you now want for
park is tied UP in a contract and it
may not be released for another eigh-
teen months BY that time the prop
erty may sell at $4,000 an acre. and
you realize the fact that we could not
buy much at that rate"
On this subject Mayor Becker's ad-
dress was an argument in favor OF a
small park. if there must be one, and
that the people must be prepared to
have II located in a factory district
Cattle Nuisance Peoples Fight.
On the question of abating the cattle
nuisance in connection with the dis
tHlery, mayor Becker said.
You can't expect help from me to
ride an industry. which cost us $4,000
to locate here. OF course your health
and interest is to be considered. and
the recourse that you may have is reg
| ulated by state law. II a nuisance
is maintained any citizen may swear
out a warrant. but it comes with bad
| grace for city administration to pick
on to one industry. especially when the
eyes OF the industrial world are on us
and when we want more of them to
come here. 1t is not wise to let it go
over the country that we are fighting
industries"
This argument found favor with the
| association, and committee was ap-
pointed to confer with the distiIlery
people TO ascertain just how much
longer they intended to harbor cattle in
connection with distillery The east
siders are determined to rid themselves
OF the smell from the big cattle sheds.
Yet withal there is nothing vindictive
in their attitude. They said that they
are not suffering so much now as in