The Indianapolis journal., 1890-10-30
MANY THINGS DUE TOACLUB
Commercial Organization That Is Wide
Awake in Working foT the City.
1t Has Accomplished Much and Now Proposes
to Put Up Building Of Large Dimen-
siOns and Fine Architecture.

When the Commercial Club was organ
lied it was decided that the fulfllment of
its purposes made IL necessary that 1t
should be placed upon a permanent basis
With that view a financial plan was de-
vised which was intended to provide fully
for the perpetuity of the organization. 1t
was adopted as a part Of the fundamental
law of the club. According to its pro-
visions no part of the capital stock can be
used in defraying expenses. The money
must be invested by the directors and the
income Only may be used in furthering the
work of the club. Many persons in sign
ing applications for membership, made
their stock subscriptions merely nominal,
promising. at the time, to increase them
when the club was ready to invest the
money. The club is now ready. and the
additional subscriptions are wanted
at once. A building is need
ed which will afford the organiza-
tion suitable quarters and bring 1t
an income. An option has been secured on
desirable property, and, If enough money
can be raised to purchase it. building
which will be credit to the city will be
erected. 1t will be all that it can be made
with the capital that can be secured. !. IL it
the clnb will have quarters which will
afford the members all desired social priv
ileges. and it is the purpose to make IL at
tractiye as q business place. The income,
it is calculated, will be sufficient to assure
the continuance of pubiic-spirited work in
Indianapolis for ali time. 1t is believed
that the clnb has earned all that it now
asks. The aid that is called for is desired
only for the purpose of enabling the organ
a. Iaas affo five
work In the future. During the eight
months Of its existence the club has made
q record that Is, so far as can be ascer-
tained. unequaled by any similar business
organization In the country.
Within three months its membership was
increased from eighty to 1,0S1. composed of
the leading citizens of the city, and the
work incident to- the formation OF new
organization, which usually requires the
best efforts of the first year OF such move
ment especially when the membership is
as large aud the scope as broad a. III this
instance, has been fully systematized.
Within forty days of the organization of
the club the street-2aving, exposition. an
1t comprised exhibits by all the leading
paving companies in the country, and
afforded the people of Indianapolis the
best possible advantages for learning the
methods of paving. It gave the city thou
sands of dollars worth of advertis-
ing In the leading newspapers of
the country. and has caused Indian
apolis to be looked upon everywhere
in the United States and Canada as head
quarters for the best available information
On the subject of street paving. 1t brought
to the city over fine hundred municipal
officials, representing nearly fifty cities.
aud attracted more attention the country
over than the industrial expositi0Gs OF
neighboring cities. It is maintained as a
permanent attraction.
Tho movement which resulted in the
gravel roads about Indianapolis being
made free was started In the club, the nec-
essary preliminary work having been done
by committees representing the club, OF
which Mayor Sullivan was chairman. The
public knows something of the Important
work that was done In stimulating etficien-
cy in the enumeration of the population of
Indianapolis. AS a result of the clubs eff
forts it is claimed that between 6.000
and 5000 names were added to the
count that otherwise would probably have
been missed. Advertisements of the ad-
vantages of indianapolis have, through It's
agency, been given q circulation of over
2,000. 600 copies. The cost of the printing of
this advertising matter has been over 49,,
600. and the circulation OF 1t costs S2,000
more, making q total of 5000 worth of ad-
vertising which the club has secured for
the city. In addition TO this, as result of
the efforts of the organization. there has
been published in the newspapers Of the
country over two hundred columns of mat
ter creditable to Indianapolis. which, if
paid for at the lowest rates of the home
papers, would have cost SlS,320. Clippings
of this matter are on file at the office OF the
club. Some idea of the Otfice-wOrk may
be obtained from the statement that during
eight months 22.992 letters and letter cir
culars have been sent out, in addition to
the great amount of incidental clerical
iahor, bookkeeping, and work of that char
acter.
Il =. =
which is being advanced as rapidly as pos
sible. Much of 10 10 of character that
cannot be properly advanced hurr1edly.
It requires care and patience. Mr..
Mason, the chairman OF the club's COM
mittee on city laws. has been engaged for
several months in preparing, with the ad-
visory cooperation of representatives of
the municipal government and Board of
Trade, new charter for Indianapolis,
which the next Legislature will be urged
TO pass. lt Is OF the greatest Importance,
and II its passage is secured 1t will be pos
sible to make Indianapolis a model city in
all respects. Another COMMITTEES repre-
senting the club has prepared a bill pro-
viding for the piping of natural gas to the
city for the use of manufactures at nom-
inal cost. Ii IS the purpose to do every
thing possible to secure the passage of the
bill, and If the undertaking is a success it
will be worth millions of dollars to the
city. Work has been done by another COM
mittee which assures the abatement of the
dust nuisance in indianapolis within q year
or two. For several months q special COM
mittee has been engaged. at considerable
expense, In making careful Investigation
of the sewerage of the city, and will soon
be able to present TO the public very val
uabie report.
The efforts of the club to secure the loca-
tiOn OF government gun.factory and steel
foundry IN indianapolis have met with en-
couragement, and there is q fair prospect
that they may result successfully. Other
important work which the club has under
taken and Is giving such attention as it
seems advisable il should receive is the an
nexetion of the suburbs, the Improvement
of the county JAIL which requires legisla-
tiOn that is to be looked after by special
committee, which has already reported Iec-
concentrations, and the abatement of the
fruit-peddling nuisance on crowded busi-
ness thOronghfares. 1t has. with success,
IN several instances, invited national or
CARNATIONS to meet In Indianapolis. and
has given material aid TO several local en-
terprises. 1t has also assiduousiy endeav-
ored to induce q large number of manu-
factories in other cities to locate in Indian
were made for money which the club be-
lieved IL not advisable to undertake to
give. Due regard has been given to econo-
my. This Is well proved, it 10 believed, by
the fact that the expenditures mp to date
for all purposes amount to S40s1. 81.
The clubs building committee held q
meeting last evening. at which 5000 In
stock subscriptions to the new building was
reported. The statement was made that
there is several thousand dollars additional
in sight most of which Will be in the shape