The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1913-10-03

straighten, widen and deepen the Grand
Calumet river. the prerequisites being
the elimination of sewage from the
river and the deciding of a right of way
to the government.
In the meeting presided over by
Judge V. S. Reiter and attended by a
score of representative citizens and
men of affairs in North township, the
Calumet region boosters again found
their bearings the deep water way
matter. If the program outlined yes
terday can be carried out. work the
Indiana Harbor breakwater should be
underway next spring.
Congressman Peterson, who is at
Crown Point for few days was at the
meeting by invitation. it having been
called purposely TO impress him with
the urgency of action and to discuss
ways and means for cooperation with
him.
Mr.. Peterson assured his audience
that while he was fully awake to the
tremendous possibilities of the Calumet
region, that 1t is also impossible to
keep In touch with its rapid progress
unless one is on the ground every day.
Therefore. he said he was glad to talk
the situation over with the men whe
are on the ground. He told his hearers
department for information relative
the status of the deep water question
for the Calumet region. The change in
administration he said, required that
new set of officials had to acquaint
themselves with the project.
When he sought an answer to the
question, uppermost in the minds of
everybody who knew that The govern
ment had made a liberal appropriation
been done as yet to get the work un-
der way, he was given to understand
that the government is holding back
because the Inland Steel company and
Marks had not yet done anything TO
build the private docks which the gov
eminent made part of the consideration
in the appropriation.
The discussion which followed show
ed plainly that not enough red tape
had been unwound to impress the war
department, that building the docks be-
fore the breakwater is completed,
would absolutely make the harbor use
less. Mayor Parks of Whiting who has
charge of the Standard Oil company
water shipments pointed out that re-
moving the hook" from the harbor 10
construct the private docks would
make the harbor useless to shipping
because the boats then would have no
protection against the wind and sea
Attorney Jesse Wilson of Hammond
able to give considerable advice IN
red tape procedure. A. NJ. Turner
gave it as his opinion that the break
water should have the first considera-
ton, without 1t all other develop
ment would be useless.
J. G. Allen, cashier of the Indiana
Harbor National. said il might be wei
to lay before the war department. He
recited matter of record IN the Wa
bash rive in Indiana. and of Kansas
case, where traffic is so slight. and the
Improvement heavy that the hand
ling of freight has cost the govern
ment many hundreds dollars per ton.
Mayor Parks said that the Standard
owing to the canal is handling freight
now at two cents a ton. where other
wise it cost ii 81 cents by rail The
tonnage out of Indiana Harbor he said
had increased from fifty to seventy per
cent this year, and the Inland ore
docks while not the largest are UNI
questionably the finest in the world.
Judge Becker said that there is nc
more opportune time than now when
the Calumet region has so many in
fiuential men in Washington. He said
he was sure that Congressman Peter
son could get the cooperation of Vice
President Marshall. Senators Shivel;
and Kern and all the congressman 81
the state one of whom is a member 81
the Rivers and Harbors committee
In his address Congressman Peter
son referred to democatic policies only
in SO far as il was necessary for him
show the situation. He said that
revenues being cut through a lower
arff hat
and that log rolling would be discour-
aged but that the Calumet region pro
ject was meritorious and that the in
terests here would need have no fear
The Status of the war department re-
ports and their meaning were explained
by Attorney w. J. Winery