The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-03-16
FINDS FLAWS IN
MODEL TOWN.
Attorney Piles Up Mass of Evidence
For Congressional Committee
Which Will Investigate Gary.
BY w. o. THuRsER.


GARY. Ind. March l6.-He's only
about. Ave feet four. bat he's got red
hair and courage TO match.
But IL is because OF other qualities
than these that the United States
Steel corporation fears 4. G. Ballard
attorney for the American Federation
of Labor.
Ballard has nose as long as his
hair is red, and for the past four
years he has been consistently stick
ing II into the steel company's busl-
ness-which, incidentally. Is the bust
ness OF the entire country. as the COM
ing investigation by congress will re-
veal.
And Ballard has piled up for the
congressional committee a mass OF
evidence that may burn few holes
In the paternal hide OF SNUG. self
satisfied Judge Gary. foster father OF
the most unique city in the. United
States.
The steel trust overstepped the
mark when IL decided TO do a few
stunts among the sand dunes which
line the southern shore of Lake Mich
igan.
Silk-hatted and frock-coated. II
posed pompously on top OF the high
est dune in sight, waved gold-mount-
ed cane in a semicircle. and. presto.
city sprang up as by magic.
City Springs Up In Jlffy.
Paved Stretts, sewer system. &C.
ment walks, electric, gas and water
plants. big hotels, thousands of homes
and the largest steel plant in the
world were created In a jiffy.
The world wondered for awhile.
commented on the wonders that
wealth could accomplish, and then
went about it's business of looking
for new sensations.
All this time Ballard was sticking
his beak into the various enterprises
operated by the steel trust He I'M
covered offenses against not merely
state and nation. but against human
flesh and blood as well-right here in
this model city" erected by the steel
trust for its workingmenl
To begin with, the steel corporation.
in order to enter Indiana and spend
Its millions the way II wanted to
spend them. had to side-step the In
diana law.
II did this boldly.
To have done what Ii did in Gary
under It's true name, the steel trust
must have filed with the secretary OF
state document setting forth just
what IL proposed TO do, a statement OF
the amount OF capital stock. the name
and address Of some person upon
whom legal service could be obtained
in the name OF the company. and othec
things irksome TO a corporation which
had been accustomed to the utmost
freedom.
Besides this II would have been
taxed an extra one-tenth OF l per
cent just because IL was corporation
organized outside the state.
All OF which didn't At In at all with
the gigantic plan the steel trust had
formed. and which has since then
been put in partial operation.
The first step was the formation OF
the Gary Land Co, with steel COM
pany money. The concern was or
ganized as an Indiana company. More
than 5000 acres OF thicket-covered
sand dunes were purchased at an
average rate-it is declared on good
authority--of about 800 an acre.
All OF this land which fronted on
the lake was converted into mill.
site. On II was erected mammoth
buildings for the Indiana Steel Co.
organized with steel trust capital
under the Indiana laws as a home
concern. So was the Universal Ce-
ment Co, the American Steel & Tin
Plate Co., the American Bridge Co..
and the Gary Screw & Bolt Co.
In addition to these, there will be
erected soon immense plants for the
American locomotive works. the Am
American Locomotive Works. tn eNa.
tional Tube Works. the American
Steel & Wire Co.. and the American
Car & Foundry Co, more children OF
the steel octopus.
So elated did the steel trust be
come at the example IL had set for
its sister combines that IL began to
brag
A map was issued showing the land
holdings OF the Gary Land Co.. bold
ly stating that IL was subsidiary to
the trust.
At a national bankers convention,
which sent delegates to Gary 10
view the wonders i'm city building,
the trust issued a souvenir pamphlet,
other subsidiary concerns as
a part of the great system which 1t
Sandwiched in between
were views of the model" city.
II failed TO contain a single cut,
showing the mangled form OF some
Gary workman, one OF whom is hurt
every day.
Neither did IL show pictures of
houses actually occupied by the work.
men who live in Gary's crowded quar-.
tiers.
One room in particular, IL by -,
with five beds In which 10 workmen
sleep, would have made striking
frontispiece.
That wouldn't have agreed at all
with the roseate stories sent out
broadcast over the land OF the beau.
tiful homes the company had erected
for its employees.
II Gary Is model city" II is the
model of what real city should
not be, rather than of what a real
city ought to be.
Tomorrow will tell how Gary
does" her citizens--the people OF the
dinner bucket brigadeD