The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1921-03-11
CONCERTED
ACTION IS
LACKING
Men Do Not Believe Ham
mOnd Will Do Anything
For Them.

Ex-service men of Hammond are SO
discouraged over the war and the way
they have been treated since returning
home from the army and navy, they re-
fuse to enthuse over anything which
the city may propose for their benefit
at this late day.
That was the way Dr W. E. Nichols
himself former service man. explained
the attitude of the boys and accounted
for the low attendance of former sold
iers and sailors at the meeting last eve
ming to discuss the proposed Memorial
Athletic Park
IT believe that since the war I have
been in about as close touch with the
boys as anyone in Hammond said DR..
Nichols. Il have talked with them
many subjects and find that the majority
of them are disguised with the way they
have been treated and laugh when
speak of something which the city
might do for their benefit. I've had
this Memorial Park subject up with
probably a hundred Of them in the last
few days. They all agree that 1t GER
tanly would be great but they always
say that Hammond will never do such a
thing for them. AS for getting the
boys to take concerted action for the
park. it's hard matter for all my ar
guments are met by the assertion that it
IS placing the boys in position of ask
ing the city to pin medal on them and
they win never do that.
THE boys were sent away with a hip
and hurrah but when the war was over
they were allowed 10 slip back home
without q murmur from the public
Hundreds OF them loafed around for
months because the old Jobs which they
had left had been taken by other men
They had been promised these jobs back
on their return but once more they were
disappointed because their old employ
ers refused to turn out a man who was
found working for less money than had
been paid the man who entered the ser
vice"
The ex-service men present. while
taking more liberal view of the prop
osition than that pictured by Dr. Mich
OILS. agreed that that was the attitude
of the majority of their buddies in Ham
mond.
Attorney Joseph Conroy took a diff
ferent view of the matter. He believes
that the soldiers and sailors should get
together and do things. The hope of
this country and the ideals of America
depend upon these men," said Mr. Con-
roy Following the Civil War; thN
returning veterans had the same con-
ditions TO contend with but when they
succeeded in organizing about ten years
after the war, they made their influence
felt. The same thing is bound to hap
pen in the present instance. When the
four million veterans of this country
come to their senses they will get to-
gether and they're going to run this
country for while.
For my part. L perfectly content
to leave the affairs of America in the
hands of its ex-scrvice men They
sooner they take control the better 1
wish 1t could happen within thirty
days"
Mr.. Conroy is a strong campaigner in
favor of the Memorial Park and prom.
ised to do everything he could between
now and Tuesday evening to create SEN
timent in favor of the project which is
once more to be submitted to the city
council.
It was decided at the meeting to go
ahead with the circulating of petitions
Frank O'Rourke has prepared $50 OF the
lpetitions and today they were placed
an all factories. fraternal societies and
individuals in all parts of the city
These will be returned Tuesday to Mr..
Frank Martin at the Hammond Savings
& Trust Co, who will present them at
fhe council meeting that evening
Action on the new petitions may be
forestalled by a reconsideration of it's
former action by the council Several
members who voted to rescind at the
last meeting have since decided that it
IS a bad move to throw the project
into the election and risk having it
made a political issue. These alder
men say they will gladly vote to revive
the old petition.
a new feature which has come to
light in the last few days has caused
many taxpayers to look with disfavor
on the plan to delay the project until
the November election. 1t has been
learned that a petition is to be presented
to the county commissioners soon for
the erection of a county memorial If
this goes through before Hammond's s
project IS started. Hammond will have
TO pay its share of It. Hammond then
would be forced to pay again II It erects
q memorial of it's own. IF the Ham
mond plan goes through first. the city
Will be exempt from paying for the
county memorial also.
Frank O'Rourke told some Of the
stories which he has heard misrepre-
senting the memorial and trying to Gre
ate sentiment against 1t. One was to
the effect that Mr.. O'Rourke has options
on land on which he wished to have the
park erected and another was that he
wanted to put the project over and then
use it for campaign propa ganda in run
ming for a city office. He emphaticaI-
" denied that he had options on any
real estate and said he didn't give a
continental where it was located just so
Hammond put it across. AS to his
ambitions politically he took occasion
TO announce that no city office could be
forced on him. He Will not be a candi-
ate