The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1911-01-13
PROGRESS HALTED
IN THIS REGION


vet bulit- Gary also wants line to
and the rich country dis
tricts to the south east of that city.
Yet in spite of the dire necessity for
the contamination of all of these pro-
jects there is little to expect from the
mayors and councils of any of the
large cities of the region.
HOW TROUBLE STARTED.
Some years ago the mayors combine
of northern Indiana secured under the
cities and towns law which gave them
absolute control over the initiation OF
franchise legislation. The board of
public works. appointed and controlled
absolutely by the mayor, Is the fran
chise censor of cities of the fourth
class.
A councilman may have ideas about
what provisions franchise should
contain and might even desire to in
troduce a franchise in favor OF some
but his hands are tied. NO traction
franchise can be passed without the
approval of the mayor. His power is
absolute.
HAD POWER USED 1T.
The present situation. in which the
councilmen in three cities are in omen
rebellion against their respective
mayors, might not have arisen had it
not been that these mayors INDUCED
IN an obnoxious exercise of the great
power that is vested in them.
Better diplomats than Becker and
Knots would have held back their best
cards and would have lead the council
men to believe that they were the
masters of the situation. But the no.
session of power In the hans of Knots
ana Becker and later in the hands of
Schlleker necessitated it's instant exer-
else and they both began an attitude
towards their councilmanic bodies that
has lead to the open breach in each
case.
| The result is that traction fran
chise introduced by the board of pub
lie works of either city is instantly
turned down by the councilmen. THE
mayor can't get anything from us until
he accedes to some of our demands,
Is the attitude that is being taken By
most of the councilmen with the re-
suit that the public suffers
PEOPLE FAVOR COUNCIL.
And the councilmen have the sym
pathy of the public in their fight. TIL,
instruction in the Hammond council
was started when Mayor Becker tosse,
an ordinance increasing the saloon Ii
cense in Hammond. a document which
he had ordered his city attorney to pre-
pare, over to the members of the cit,
council and ordered it passed
Every many with a spark of man
nod in him was indignant at this &C
tion The ordinance was voted dow
and has never come up since. Flo
weeks the mayor has been trying I
get his council to vote for an additions
pump for the Hammond pumping sta
ton but each time he has decred tina
the pump should be operated by steam
regardless of the merits of an electri
pump. with the result that the ceunc
has refused to appropriate a cent @
money.
NO CHANCE FOR INTERURBANs.
It can easily be seen that this situa
ton makes it practically Impossible
for traction franchise to pass in tn
city councils of any of the cities {
the region. What the mayor wante
would meet with OPPOSITION of the cour
cilmen and vice versa
| There are two compa MES seeking
connect Hammond with the cite sof II
diana Harbor and Gary at the preser
time. Such line would have to secur
franchises in three cities and the ord
nary observer will see that it is useles
to hope for such contamination
Not until the legislature trims III
. wings of the dictatorial mayors of tn
region will the traction problem /
solved. in the opinion OF local tractio