The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1910-09-22
UPHEAVA[-
MAY FOLLOW
CONDITIONS
South End Property Owners
in Gary Chafe Under High
Assessments and There
Promises to Be Something
Doing One of These Days.

Spurred to action by the high assess
ments that have been burdening the
poor people of the south end, property
holders in that part of Gary have be-
gun a concerted action to reduce as
sessment rates which have been notori-
ously high
They declare that they are paying
high prices, not because of the high
cost of street improvements, but be-
cause it has been the policy of the old
town board and the present city coun-
Gil to so legislate as to exclude nearly
all bidders save the Gary and Cain
Construction companies, the alleged
twin sisters"
Poor Are Robbed.
AS a result of this policy of fragrant
favoritism. these two companies have
practically had monopoly on the work
in the south end at prices declared to be
sky high. Assessment figures have IN
consequence creeped up with mushroom
rapidity. Not only are the property
owners up in the arms. but the real
estate dealers are on the warpath over
the matter. They say that assessments
are beginning to get SO outrageous that
it has been practically impossible to sell
lots in certain parts of the city
In fact" said one OF them. assess
ments on some south end lots amount
to more than the property is worth. The
poor man is being hit hard"
Federal Probe Probable.
Last week it was announced that a
foreigner who is Interested in real es-
tate matters here. who is a property
holder but not a citizen of this coun-
try, would take the assessment matters
into the hands of the Austrian consul
ate. 1t is said that he wants the con-
sul-general in Chicago to have the en-
bassy at Washington to have the United
States district attorney probe the con-
tractors and the aldermen who have
been voting contracts to them.
While in the ordinary course of mat
tiers such probes would be conducted
in the local circuit or superior court. g
non-citizen or resident of another
state may enter Immediately into
| federal court, as 1t has concurrent jur-
| isdiction when the Complaint had thi:
status.
TT would be good thing to have
| the federal grand jury investigate thu
Gary contractors who have been in OF
the monopoly and the aldermen wht
| voted for Them declared a business
man. IF these cases went into Judg'
Lands court we would have no NOR
|
who Got the $4,000.
| Yes" said the son of a city official
| "the contract letting system is bad an,
on one street the contractors got SIT
| per lot for their work. while on anothe
| they were glad to take the same 10
for SIS. Now who got the other $3.50
| per citl block? It's a shame the wa
the poor man has to be mulcted of hi
hard earned money"
| Damage Suits Are Probable
Attorneys for some taxpayers hav
advised them that they may enter suit
against the construction companie
/ where they find assessments are higl
They have been told that they can ~
cover not only any money they ca
show the have been defrauded of bu
heavy damages as well. and If they ca
show conspiracy criminal action stand
as relief
VIII Call for Publicity.
1t has been suggested that one wa
to smash the contracting rings that liz
fest the city administration is to az
bid on Gary work. Then insist this
the council give the job to the best ar
lowest bidder. If it does not mandarin
lies as a relief.
BY having multiplicity of bidders
is pointed out that competition wi
. enter into the bids, which will mea
, much lower prices and consequent