The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1922-12-28
PRIVATE
DONATION
To HELP
Declares the Park Will Not
Be a Tax Burden


G. Oliver Holmes state senator
from Gary. viii enter the legislative
halls at indianapolis next week
pledged to the establishment Of a
Dunes park. the passage Of a tar
on gasoline. the adoption of law
enabling Lake county to create a
Junior College and legislation for
the creation OF county school units.
Sen. Holmes went on record in
favor OF these measures in an in
terview today. lie is thoroughly
SOLD 70 the plan for state park
in the Dunes and believes that il
Will be paying investment for the
state instead OF liability and a
burden on the taxpayers.
The purchase OF a park in the
Dunes does not involve any such
expenditure as has been reported z
declared Sen. Holmes. I know with
my eyes shut that it won't cost
s2,000,ooo. Further than that it
can be paid for over period or
years
The state has the right to ap-
propriate the land for park pur-
poses and a fair price will be fixed
by an appraiser. While property
owners can appeal to the courts the
state will not have to pay an ex-
horoitant price. The National
Dunes Park association has been
arranging for private subscriptions
looking TO the establishment of a
park In the Dunes and 1 feel sure
that some OF the land will be do
mated to the state.
1T Is planned to establish the
park along the lake front from a
point mile west of Waverlv
Beach to extend two miles east Of
Waveriy, giving three miles OF lake
frontage and an area in the dunes
or about 5000 acres. The state
VIII charge a nominal sum for aa
mittance to the park, possibly ten
or fifteen cents and will derive re-
venue from rustic hotels and con-
cessions which will be under rigid
management.
The city OF Gary has no selfish
aims in working for the establish
ment OF Dunes park because we
have more park area than any other
city in the state and a splendid
park in the Dunes on our own lake
front.
THE state conservation commits
sion which has charge OF state
parks is making money on every
state park. including Turkey Run,
and there is no reason why the
Dunes park would not eventually
pay for itself. Although the state
cannot issue bonds 1t can acquire
property on time payments so that
II IS not necessary to buy the park
with spot cash"
Sen. Holmes is In hopes that the
tax on gasoline will be passed in
states.
"A certain portion OF the revenue
collected from the tax should come
back to the county without any
strings tying It TO the state high
way department" he said. This
portion coming to the county
should be used in the building Of
roads at the discretion OF the coun
ty commissioners"
Regarding the Junior college. Sen
Holmes said tnat the three state
universities are over crowded and
that the state must either build
more univrsities or adopt the plan
Of Junior colleges in various sec
tions Of the state.
lie favors the Junior college piar
and will work for the passage of
bill to make the establishment Of
a Junior college in Lake county avail
able.
The automobile school bus IN use
in rural communities all over the
country is the basis OF the county
unit school system" whereby first
class grade schools and high schools
centrally located In the rural dis
tricts take the place OF the township
schools. A county school unit can
serve several townships in the rural
districts Il is economy and eff
cheney Senator Holmes has in mind
legislation which will enable the es-
tablishment of the county unit sys-
tenn" in Indiana.