The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-02-19

AAiho bI'CNNAA III t'e'AS
Before we start this discussion,
want everybody in this room to
clearly understand three things:
/. This plan does not contemplate
raising a cent to be loaned to or in
vested with weak and failing con-
Germs.
2. This plan does not contemplate
fhe raising of large funds for ex-
travagant advertising purposes.
3. We are going to raise only
100000 and we are not going to
raise any of that here tonight.
1 personally am not going to make
any profit out of any advertising
that may develop.
Indianapolis has more reason for
doing something and can find more
excuses for doing nothing than any
town 1 ever saw. When Carl Fisher
wanted a road built out in front OF
his house-we did nothing. When
John N. WHY'S got a proposition
from Toledo to move the Overland
factory out of Indianapolis we did
nothing When thirty of our in
dustries from time to time needed our
help, the same anvil chorus which
right at this minute Is trying to
kill this new Indianapolis move
ment, got their hammers out and
Knocked, knocked, until those thirty
industries were dead as a mackerel
City Did Nothing
What did Indianapolis Go to pre-
vent these homicides? She did
absolutely nothing.
Recently when officials Of Gen
eral Electric Company went through
this town looking for factory site,
and finally decided to establish
factory 200 miles west Of here that
win employ $4,000 people. what did
Indianapolis do? Again she did alb
solutely nothing.
/ want to say to you that If this
plan we are talking about had been
in operation at that time, the Cen
cral Electric factory would today be
in Indianapolis, and so would this
new Delco factory, located just a few
miles north of here, which also is
going to employ $4,000 people.
There you have 10000 jobs for In
Gianapolis people that, within the
last year, have got away from us,
all because we have not had a plan
and the courage and the cooperation
among ouse 1es to carry out such a
plan.
You know and I know that this is
not conversation. These are facts and
it is about time for somebody to rec
ognize the facts and do something for
Indianapolis.
When hundreds of Indianapolis
people began cranking their Fords
to go to Florida, there was not one
single bit of concerted effort to i'm
press on them the superior, stable,
profit-making integrity Of Indian
apoHs real estate. We let these
these people get away from us and
we deserve absolutely no sympathy.
Make No Effort
At this moment, with hundreds Of
factories from all over the country
looking for more advantageous dis
trihution facilities and many of them
ready, if they knew the truth about
this town, to come here, what are
we doing?
= We are sitting here, smugly, and
with an Indifferent wave Of the
hand we are passing the buck to the
Chamber of Commerce and when the
Chamber of Commerce fails to do the
humanity impossible thing of drag
2ing the dead weight Of $4,000
sleepy people, who apparently pre-
fer to stay in a rut, what do we, as a
city, do?
We damn the Chamber of Com
merce and, as usual, do absolutely
nothing.
AS matter of fact. indianapolis is
not dead, but sleeping.
This apathetic condition is going
to be quickly corrected. All we need
to do is to stick some dynamite I'M
der all this inertia and wake the
town up. Then we are going to
make the word understand, In no
uncertain terms, that in many i'm
portant respects Indianapolis is the
best town on earth; the best town
il America from manufacturers
standpoint and the best town in
america for the purposes of a man
who wants to raise q decent, healthy
family and incidentally get the most
out of life while he is about it.
We are deeply indebted to the In
1;oOopOIic CJ,oy,ba,, Of Com nrca for