The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1909-12-27
WILL GET NICKEL
FARE TO CHICAGO
Continued from Page l.,

BY the Chicago Edison company for
the operation Of the entire line.
8. Because of the consolidation
Hammond is to become the gateway to
Chicago for all OF the interurban lines
from the east and south.
4. In the opinion of local railroad
men the consolidation means that the
local line will have the financial back
ing necessary to make it a frst-class
railroad and to make possible certain
connections that have long been de-
manded by the people.
SCHEME or CONSOLIDATION.
The Hammond. Whiting & East Chi
cago line Is now being operated by a.
L Drum & Co. Of Chicago. A. L. Drum
& Co. is also operating the Calumet
and South Chicago company, and 1t is
only matter of conjecture as to
whether the consolidation will bring
about change in the operation Of this
branch Of the cons olidated lines.
The general scheme OF the consolida-
ton seems to be to permit each of the
amaIgamated companies to maintain a
separate existence, but through a COM
mon ownership Of the stock. permit OF
the harmonious operation of the lines
as a unit
This makes it apparent that the
Hammond. Whiting & East Chicago
Electric railway company is to become
an important factor in the consolida-
ton. in that 1t connects the rapidly de-
veloping cities Of Hammond. East Chi
cago. Indiana Harbor and Gary with
Chicago.
SEPARATE CORPORATIONS.
The point was raised with Mr.. CODE
as to whether the addition of the lines
which cross the Indiana state line over
into Hammond and East Chicago would
make the new company an interstate
corporation. His reply was that the
advice which the organizers of the new
company had is that so long as the
companies retain their individuality as
corporations no such claim can be
made
Hammond, the natural gateway 70
Chicago for the immense cobweb OF in
terurban lines of Indiana and Ohio. be-
comes a component part of Chicago's
traction system. with every probability
at an early date of a cent fare from
Hammond to the loop and extension OF
the transfer privilege within the city
limits to the interurban territory, and
vice versa
after a bit of figuring, that the cal
systems which go into the new $780,.
600, 900 company carried 0,000. 0ot
passengers during the year just clos.
ing Mr.. Mitten classes the new com.
pany as the biggest surface traction
line in any city from the standpoint o.
mileage and passengers carried. :
MAY USE EDISON POWER.
For some time there has been a de
sire on the part of ]. P. Morgan to dis
tribute the stock of the City Railwa.
company to the Individual member
who several years ago put their stool
into the general pool. Had this dis
tribution been affected 1t would hav
meant the scattering of the holdings o
the City Railway to such an extent tina
the general scheme of consolidating
all the street railroads of Chicag
would have been rendered much NOR
difficult. Now, however, that Chica
goans are in absolute control OF tn
Cit yRailway stock. 1t can be han Sic
as a unit and made the nucleu OF
general consolidation.
The fact that Samuel Insult, presi
dent of the Commonwealth Edison com
pany, is on the new board of director
indicates the part which the bushes
OF producing electric current for pow
er Is to I'LL Apparently the Common
wealth Edison company will take tn
place of electric power houses for thi
system OF street railroads. Inasmuc
as it is planned that the general con
solidation OF all the lines of all div
sions of the city. surface and elevated
Is to center in the present deal, tn
Commonwealth Edison will be a DOM
mating factor. Already it is furnishin
the electric power used by the Cit
Railway. is supplying current for sex
eral OF the elevated lines, and is pre-
pared TO meet any demands from othe
street railroad systems.
CUMMINGS DID NOT KNOW.
An odd feature OF Mr.. Cobe's al
nouncement was that President Gun
mings Of the Hammond line and Pres