The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-02-19
DICK MILLER FOR
BIGGER CITY MOVE
Banker Endorses Homer Mckee Plan for Million PopuIa-
ton Club.
ton Club.

tior
Dick Miller, president of the City
Trust Company, and vice president
Of the Indianapolis Chamber OF Com
merce, in commenting on the Mckee
plan for a Million Population Club
at the Claypool Thursday night,
said:
IF we really want a rejuvenated
city and strive for it in q we'll or
ganized way, we can get it. 1t is
not up to Homer Mckee and his
executive committee alone, it is up to
all business and professional men
and women of the community to
bring the thing about. OF course, we
need proper direction. We must
have concentrated authority to out
line the things for us to do, but in
| it's final analysis it is put straight
up to the individual responsibility
of all the people Of the community.
Now do we want a bigger city?
Are we anxious that we should have
a city teeming with the spirit of in
dustrial progress, or do we as a peo-
pie want to become even more self
satisfied than we are now, to the
end that other cities may take from
us that which we have to the great
advantage of their own industrial
| progress?
"If we decide that we want very
sincerely that the city should grow
in population and industry, the ques-
ton then which naturally follows is
| this: Is the Homer Mckee plan
the one we should adopt to bring
about this result?
Talks as Citizen
1T shall make some observations
touching these two points at issue.
In what 1 have to say tonight, 1
should like it definitely understood
that / represent no organization. l
am the vice president Of the Cham
Der Of Commerce. 1 have been ac-
tive for years in Chamber of Com
MERGE work, but in no sense do l
represent the Chamber Of Commerce
| in what 1 have to say. L am here
tonight as a private citizen. l as
sumo the representation OF no one
except myself l do, however, hope
what I have to say will reflect the
sentiment of the very great majority
of the business and professional peo-
pie Of this city.
1T is our contention that we do
want very much that Indianapolis
should suddenly come to realize its
potential power and that, somehow,
some way, we should Immediately set
about to measure up as city TO that
potential power. We want a city
here at the crossroads Of America Of
900 900 population! We want thriv-
ing. driving industry and distributing
activity, and if you please, a civic
responsibility that measures up to a
city of 100000 population.
I'm the first place, we are moved
to the ambition because of civic
pride. Our spirit of loyalty to the
community in which we live is chal-
Ienged. The recognition of individual
responsibility as detailed by Homer
Mckee may have been lacking up TO
this time, but not from now on.
Loyalty Challenged
1--WE are a proud, red-blooded peo-
pie here in indianapolis, and when
our pride and loyalty are challenged,
we meet that challenge by action. 1t
may be our spirit of pride has been
dormant. Our civic sensibilities may
have beer dulled, but even with that.
what one of us does not react with
a feeling of joy when something
worth while has happened which re-
fleets glory on the city Of Indian
apolis? What one Of us is so dulled
in our civic pride, that he does not
feel a pang of sorrow when Some
thing happens to the benefit OF
Kansas City, Mo. Toledo, Ohio;
Cleveland, Ohio, or some other city,
when in our judgment it should have
been done to the advantage of In
dianapolis? So L say we are proud.
We want Indianapolis to grow. We
want to see here, at the crossroads
| of America, a city Of q million peo-
pie.
MAY L not remind you that
among all the cities Of this nation,
our city was finally selected as the
site for the greatest memorial shrine
ever erected to the memory of man.
The Memorial Plaza is now an as
sured reality. One building has been
completed and others are being
placed under contract. IT is up to
us to build a city around that me-
mortal shrine to justify the confidence
and judgment OF those who honored
our city with this magnificent I'M
dertaking. For decades we have en-
joyed the glory which came to us
from the Soldiers and Sailors Mon
ument on the Circle. We built a
great city around that monument.
Greater glory is coming to us in
the future because of the Plaza
Memorial. So we must build a great
err city around that monument that
we may come to deserve the glory
which will be ours.
Industrial Age.
I'VE are living in very practical
industrial age. However sentiment
al and reactionary we may be, we
can not get away from the real fact
that human progress is marching
on, hand in hand with industrial and
commercial accomplishment. If there
be those who claim we should not
stimulate our industrial and popu.
lation growth by organized methods,
let me remind them that others will
take advantage OF our inactivity
and draw from us the wealth and
industrial glory which should be
ours. If such a thing should happen
there is no question in my mind
that this community would suffer in