Transportation.— Indianapolis is the centre of trade for the State. With the completion of the Indianapolis Southern Railway every county in the State except three, which are on the Ohio River, could be reached by railroad in less than one day's travel. Consolidations have placed most of the railroads in two systems. One of these, the Pennsylvania lines west of Pittsburgh, now operates the Madison and Jeffersonville lines, which reached the city in 1847, and the Vincennes line, completed in 1868; the Indiana Central to Columbus and the East, completed in 1853, and the Terre Haute and Richmond, later the Vandalia, completed in 1852, and now reaching Saint Louis; also a line to Chicago, partly over the Lake Erie and Western. The other, the Big Four system, operates the Belle fontaine road to Cleveland, completed in 1852; the Indianapolis and Cincinnati, which reached the city in 1850; the Indianapolis and Lafayette, of 1852, now reaching Chicago; the Indianapolis, Bloomington and Western to Peoria, finished in 1870, its eastern extension to Springfield, Ohio, completed about 15 years later; the Indianapolis and Saint Louis, completed in 1876. Through trains are also run to Benton Harbor, Mich., and to Louisville, over 'branches of these lines. The Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroad Com pany operates the Cincinnati and Indianapolis Junction road, completed in 1868, and the In dianapolis, Decatur and Springfield road to Springfield, Ill. The Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Louisville operates a line to Chicago, which was completed about 1880. The Lake Erie and Western Railroad Company operates the old Peru and Indianapolis road, completed in 1854, and reaches Michigan City Toledo and Peoria.
These roads, which offer unusual facilities for handling both freight and passenger traffic, now are operated under 12 systems as follows: The Belt Railroad and Stock Yards Company; the Central Railroad of Indianapolis; the Chi cago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railway Com pany; the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Rail way Company; the Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Western Railway; the Cleveland, Cincin nati, Chicago and Saint Louis Railway; the Illinois Central Railroad ; the Indianapolis Union Railway Company, which operates the *belt* or city switching system ; the Lake Erie and Western ; the Pennsylvania and Vandalia Lines; the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and Saint Louis Railway and the Vandalia Railroad Company.
The construction of the system of inter urban roads began about 1890 with the Broad Ripple line, now a suburban line owned by the Union Traction Company of Indiana. The next to be constructed was the Indianapolis and Columbus line in 1900, now reaching Co lumbus. This line now is known as the Indian apolis, Columbus and Southern, has been ex tended to Ky., and is operated by the lessees, the Interstate Public Service Company. It was followed quickly by the Indianapolis and Eastern, which now connects with Columbus, Ohio, and other eastern points. This line was extended to Terre Haute, and now is known as the Terre Haute, Indianapolis and Eastern. The Union Traction Company of Indiana entered the city from its centre in Anderson in 1901 and in 1903 completed a line north to Logansport, Tipton, and Kokomo, arid other northern points. Lines entering the city in 1903 were the Indianapolis and Martinsville, the Indianapolis and Plainfield and the Indian apolis and Northern, extending to Crawfords ville and Lafayette. The Indianapolis and
Cincinnati Traction line was completed east to Rushville in 1905 and since that time the line has been extended to Conners ville. The right-of-way has been purchased to extend this line through to Cincinnati. This company also operates another line extend ing from Indianapolis to Shelbyville and Greens burg. The steam railroads are served within the city by the Union Railway Company owning the Union passenger station and the belt railway for facilitating the transfer of freight. The inter urban electric roads are in like manner served by the Indianapolis Terminal and Traction Company owning a large terminal station and belt lines for passenger and freight business.
During the brief natural gas era in Indiana, Indianapolis benefited largely by the cheap fuel. Since the failure of the gas supply the superior shipping facilities of the city and cheap coal fuel have attracted many more manufactories, and more than 160 industries are carried on in about 2,000 estab lishments. According to United States statis tics covering business conditions in the city during 1916 the capital invested in 887 manu facturing establishments was $87,724,000, or an average capital of $99,000. The cost of the material used in all of the establishments dur ing the year was $91,432,000, or an average cost of $98,000. The value of products manufac tured in the city during 1916 was $140,346,000 or an average per establishment of $158,000. The number of employees was given as 37,956; the number of proprietors and 'firm members, 554, and the number of horsepower in oper ation, 65,266. Among the most important in dustries are slaughtering and meat packing; pharmaceutical and biological products; iron work; automobiles and accessories ; carriages and wagons and material therefor; iron work of all kinds; furniture; malt liquors; printing and bookbinding; clothing; veneers ; saws and lumber and lumber mill products.
Finances and The assessed valu ation of the city in 1870 was $24,656,460. In 1891 at the beginning of the era of public provements it was $93.595,930, and in 1915 it had increased to $244,217,280. The tax rate for State, county, township, city and school pur poses was $2.53 in 1915. The net public debt was $4,602,500. The city's expenses for 1915, including money spent for track elevation and flood prevention, were $4,390,484.29. The pos tal receipts for 1915 were $1,631,795.52. The value of imports for 1915 was $535,821 and the total customs receipts were $262,603.57. The city has a total of 27 national banks, State banks and trust companies with total resources amounting to $111,823,921.44. *It has six na tional banks with capital and surplus amount ing to $9,700,000; 12 State banks with capital and surplus amounting to $606,900, and 9 trust companies with a capital and surplus of $6,000, 000, the total capital and surplus of these in stitutions being $16,403,554. The deposits in the national and State banks aggregated in 1918 $50,000,000, while the savings deposited with trust companies amount to $22,904,453.60. There are about 90 building, loan and savings associations in various stages of progress and liquidation.