The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-07-31
Aviation
RUSH STUDY OF
PLANS FOR new
CITY AIRPORT
U. S. Expert Indicates
Municipal Field Should
Be West of Town.

With appointment of a subcom-
mittee by Mayor L. Ert Slack to
prepare definite report on cost and
valuable fields, Stacks committee
nd the Chamber of Commerce in
'1strial commission today were pre-
ing to hasten establishment of a
1nicipal airport.
Taste in establishing the mu-
cipal airport, at the same time
sing great caution, is necessary,
Slack said Monday. in order to as
sure suitable field for the Trans
continental Air Transport, which is
expected to include indianapolis as
, principal stop on it's plane-train
passenger route.
The committee is awaiting re-
Dort from A. P. Taliaferro Depart
ment of Commerce airport expert,
On the most suitable sites. Talia-
cerro visited numerous sites here last
week.
Shou' BE West of City
Industrial Commissioner Clifford
L. Harrod, at the meeting Monday
said Taliaferro hc>' indicated a
municipal airport northwest, west or
southwest of the city would be most
satisfactory, because of the prevail
ing wind being from the west.
Taliaferro was quoted as saying a
field east of the city would be
covered with coal smoke, making
landing difficult. unless the airport
were so far east of the city as to
make transportation to and from it
difficult.
Stacks subcommittee is composed
of Herman P. Lieber, Edward B.
Raub Jr. and George T. Wheldon.
Slack said he believed a suitable
arrangement might be made to
operate a municipal airport adjoin~
ing the Indianapolis airport, Mars
Hill, operated by the National
Guard, but added he still opposed
Joint operation of field.
The committee has under con-
sideration options on 2S2 acres OF
land adjoining the indianapolis ar
port, held by a local real estate
agent.
slack reiterated his belief that
the airport should be part OF large
park.
The committee discussed plans to |
seek legislation next year permit
ting indianapolis to own and oper-
ate an airport.
Slack said legislation is necessary,
suggesting that the industrial COM
mission or some other organization,
working with the committee, obtain
a lease on ground selected by the
committee, and that the city ar
range to purchase the site in 1923
after suitable legislation is enacted.
With suitable airport facilities
Indianapolis is destined to become
a great aviation center, Paul H.
Moore, aviation secretary, said.
Great Air Center
Moore said indianapolis probably
will be a stopping point on Wis
consin to Florida transport line now
planned. He added he has received
letters from several new air trans
port companies, including one ask
ing that a mooring mast be placed
on the municipal airport to accom- /
modate dirigibles the company in
tends to operate within a radius OF
400 miles of Louisville.
In pointing to Indianapolis future
growth in aviation, Slack compared
it with crime.
Indianapolis is in the great circle
of large cities, Cleveland, Detroit,
Chicago, Kansas City, st. Louis,
Louisville, Toledo, Pittsburgh and
others.
Criminals work mostly in the
large cities in the ring, and many OF
them, when they find things hot for
them in these cities, come to 1ndl-
annapolis to hide.
1--WE are not proud of this floating
population, but they come here, for
tunately only temporarily, to hide
because Indianapolis is centrally To-
Gated in relation to the larger cities.
Aviation will center about these
large cities and Indianapolis, being |
in the center of the circle, will be
an air terminal Many large trans
port lines which will be operated in
the future between these cities will
pass through this city"