Volume 57 APRIL, 1941 Number 4 Preparing for the Future Growth of Indianapolis (Story on Fage 3) / ~\ • ••• 1 a 1 ll . •M la 1 '• li . -; - V\ as^.U -\ti Indianapolis Power & Light Company's Harding Street plant, showing New gas holder of the Citizens Gas & Coke Utility, at Northwestern turbine room extension. New boiler room to be built in center. Ave. and Fall Creek. Its capacity is 12,000,000 cubic feet of gas. i ": m' PROPOSEID INDJlAiNA>t7bkS Some of the underground cable being placed by the Indiana Bell The map shows the location of the Indianapolis Water Company's Telephone Company as part of the new dial telephone project. proposed reservoir on Fall Creek, northeast of the city. And Some Other Problems We Must Solve (Editorial from PUBLIC MANAGEMENT, March, 1941) The 1940 census shows that a tremendous migration of city residents to suburban areas has taken place since 1930. The fringe areas out­ side the city limits have grown rapidly, while the rate of increase within the city limits has slowed down markedly. There are many reasons for this trend, such as improved roads and transportation facilities, lower housing costs, lower taxes, or simply the desire to own a home on a decent sized plot of ground. But for the central city the maintenance of basic municipal services Many cities are now awakening to the fact that they have directly continues unabated. Costly investments in municipal facilities, such or indirectly encouraged decentralization by making utility services available outside the city limits without charge or at the same rate as parks, sewer systems, and libraries, were undertaken in the belief paid by residents, by condoning outmoded building codes, by failure that population would remain static or continue to increase. A large to plan comprehensively, by failure to adopt a long-range housing share of these improvements were financed by loans which are still program including rehabilitation of blighted areas, and by failure to unpaid and represent a burden of debt. take steps to abolish smoke, noise, and dirt. (See Story on Page 11) &4c£u/&&^ OF THE INDIANAPOLIS CHAMBER OF CO MMERCi Twentieth. Tznnivetia.tu ^ Indianapolis Home Show // 18 to 27 MANUFACTURER'S BUILDING STATE FAIRGROUNDS Over the Years the Indianapolis Home Show has inculcated and fostered a spirit of civic consciousness, pride of accomplish­ ment for the Home Owner, together with a spirit of self-reliance and better citizenship. These elements of character are of first importance in our national defense program. The 1941 Home Show will be a monument to the vision and pioneer spirit of those men of the Indianapolis Real Estate Board who first conceived the Home Complete Exposition 20 years ago. Three Beautiful Homes, in three price ranges in a fairyland setting of beautiful gardens. Admission at the gate: 40 cents; children 15 cents. A GREAT CIVIC INSTITUTION i cj4c>t{>csy>fa&x OF THE INDIANAPOLIS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE City's Utilities Spending Millions for Expansion Numerous Large Projects Recently Completed or Under Way to Meet Present Demands and Anticipated Needs for Years to Come The utility companies which supply Indianapolis with electricity, gas, water and telephone service are not only keeping- pace with the city's growing population and its rapidly expanding industry, but they are looking ahead to the needs of the Greater Indianapolis of the future. To millions of dollars spent for expansions and improvements projected or completed in 1940, many mil­ lions more will be added this year to meet the demands stimulated by the national defense program and to care for anticipated requirements for years to come. gram was the construction of its 1,500,000 gallon Indianapolis Water Company elevated water tank in the Blue Ridge district. This tank, built at a cost of $250,000, maintains con­ To insure the continuance of an adequate and stant and adequate water pressure in that part of dependable supply of safe water to meet present the city north of Thirty-eighth street, containing and future needs of the city, the Indianapolis Water approximately 55,000 persons. Company has petitioned the Public Service Com­ mission for approval of the construction of an im­ pounding reservoir on Fall Creek, northeast of the Citizens Gas & Coke Utility city, near Oaklandon. The project as planned will cost approximately The major expansion project of the Citizens Gas $1,600,000 for the dam, roads, fencing and supple­ & Coke Utility was the construction of the new gas mentary items. The reservoir will flood about 1,800 holder, at Northwestern Avenue and Fall Creek, acres of a total of 5,000 acres included in the site, which was recently completed at a cost of $700,000. and will impound nearly 7,000,000,000 gallons of The new holder, which has a capacity of 12,000,000 water, storing it during the winter and spring for cubic feet of gas, was built by the utility to insure release during the dry summer months. Through an adequate supply of gas to meet the growing the operation of the reservoir the flow of water in needs of Indianapolis. Fall Creek below the reservoir dam will be greater The utility also is building a battery of forty-one than normal dry-weather flow. new coke ovens, which will increase the capacity by Officials of the company point out that general 33 1/3 per cent. The ovens, which are being built by lowering of the water table in the vicinity of Indi­ the Koppers Company, are of the latest design with anapolis in recent years and a steady increase in the all the newest improvements. The contract price for use of water, now being accelerated by the rapid the ovens is $1,100,000. industrial expansion and population growth incident When the city took over the operation of the gas to the national defense program, has left the com­ utility in 1935 the average daily gas consumption pany with an uncomfortably close margin of reserve. was 8,000,000 cubic feet. The available holder capac­ The management and engineering staff of the ity of the plant at that time was 10,000,000 cubic utility have studied the reservoir project for sev­ feet, which met accepted standards of practice. eral years, and feel that its completion will place Since September 9, 1935, however, the gas busi­ Indianapolis in a more favorable position to insure ness in Indianapolis has grown by leaps and bounds. both population and industrial growth. Main extensions of more than 247 miles were largely The company is now completing a .$1,020,000 responsible for an increase of 15,654 meters to a water treatment plant at its station near Keystone total of 93,018 at the end of- 1940. The elimination avenue and Fall Creek. This plant, drawing water of pressure problems by the installation of additional from Fall Creek and purifying it for use, will have compressors, improving the quality of gas by the a daily capacity of 16,000,000 gallons. Construction erection of water gas sets at Prospect street, two of the reservoir will insure a supply of water for rate reductions and generally better business con­ this plant, especially during periods of drought. ditions were largely responsible for the progress Additional pumping equipment is being installed at made in this period. the pumping station which will increase the com­ Average daily gas consumption reached 10,757,000 pany's pumping capacity from 196,500,000 gallons cubic feet in 1939, and increased to 12,800,000 cubic to 215,500,000 gallons daily. feet in 1940. The peak day on January 18, 1940, Another project in the company's expansion pro­ (Turn to Page 12) &4&tu>y>£ce4-OF THE INDIANAPOLIS CHAMBER OF CO M M ERC £ Home Show Will Mark Twenty Years of Building Progress Three Houses in Different Price Ranges to Be Warner Corporation, are the Chamber's representa­ Shown at Exposition tives on the Home Show board. President W. I. Longsworth will have part in the opening ceremony The annual Indianapolis Home Show, to be held when the three model homes will be opened to the April 18 to 27 in the Manufacturers building at the public. state fairgrounds, will mark twenty years of prog­ ress in the building industry of the city. Robert L. Mason, Home Show president, said the Permanent Safety Division twentieth anniversary exposition will be a fitting monument to the vision and pioneer spirit of the Is Proposed for Chamber late E. L. Cothrell, who was president of the first Home Show sponsored by the Indianapolis Real A proposal that the Indianapolis Chamber of Estate Board twenty years ago. Commerce assume the responsibility of organizing "Through the years the Home Show has grown and directing a full-time year-round educational pro­ into a great civic institution in Indianapolis," Mr. gram to promote safety in Indianapolis is under Mason said. "The home owner is a better citizen, consideration by officers and directors of the and the Home Show has helped to foster pride in Chamber. home ownership and a spirit of self-reliance in home Under the proposed plan the activities of the owners. People of the city and state have come to Citizens Safety Committee and other safety organ­ look to the Home Show for guidance in the construc­ izations in the city would be merged with those of tion, purchasing, furnishing and beautification of the Chamber of Commerce in a unified effort to the home." promote traffic safety and accident prevention in This year's Home Show presents three houses in industrial plants, places of business and homes.