City's Great Exposition of Industry Opens

From The Indianapolis Star, Tuesday, October 11, 1921: The word “Go” flashed by a mammoth electric sign atop the Merchants National Bank Building and the blowing of factory whistles across Indianapolis announced the opening of the great Industrial Exposition yesterday evening at the Manufacturers’ Building on the fairgrounds. More than 11,000 visitors passed through the main entrance to see, under one roof, 383 exhibits displaying Indianapolis made products. During the week-long event, the public will get a better idea of the diversity in the city’s vast industrial resources that insures steady work for Indianapolis men and women. Seven hundred and eighty articles are manufactured in the city from tacks to automobiles and automobile accessories, from the printing of books to the making of tractors, from turning out phonographs to building milling machinery, and from manufacturing popcorn machines to men’s clothing.

“City’s Great Exposition of Industry Opens,” The Indianapolis Star, 11 October 1921, p. 1:4

“Diversity in Products,” The Indianapolis News, 10 October 1921, Exposition Extra, p. 1:2

Board to Discharge the 'Flagging' of Cars

From The Indianapolis News, Wednesday, October 5, 1921: The practice of school boys “flagging” passing automobiles for rides to and from school has resulted in many complaints, and motorcycle police stationed near public schools will be instructed to discourage the practice. Monroe E. Noblet, secretary of the Hoosier Motor Club, said his office had received a number of complaints and reports of accidents caused by “flagging.” The practice has grown in the last few weeks, and now seems most prevalent on heavily trafficked North Meridian Street. “Flagging” motor vehicles is the cause of frequent accidents on this street. The “flagging” of a car is hazardous to the youth who does the “flagging” and to the motorist who may suddenly take a notion to stop to pick up some youth, and to the string of cars closely following,” said secretary Noblet.

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“Board to Discourage the ‘Flagging’ of Cars,” The Indianapolis News, 5 October 1921, p. 3:1

Sticker to Be Used by Police 'Walk Right, Drive Right Week'

From The Indianapolis News, Monday, September 19, 1921: This week’s “Walk Right, Drive Right” campaign for the elimination of street mishaps began today. Finding that many accidents are caused by faulty brakes and signals, the board of public safety has detailed ten police officers at sites around Indianapolis to test the brakes and signals on cars, and the drivers’ knowledge of traffic rules. A sticker will be placed on the windshield of all automobiles passing the tests. The Hoosier Motor Club has announced it will spend the week marking dangerous intersections and curves in Marion County. In 1919 there were twenty-six deaths from automobile accidents in Indianapolis, or 8.4 deaths per 100,000 population. This was a low average for large cities, but since then the number has been increasing and the board is seeking to eliminate causes of traffic accidents.

“Watching Efficiency Tests of City Automobiles,” The Indianapolis News, 19 September 1921, p. 15:5

“Sticker to Be Used by Police ‘Walk Right, Drive Right Week’,” The Indianapolis News, 16 September 1921, p. 34:6