LOS ANGELES 1930

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17236, 16 April 1930, Page 10

LOS ANGELES 1930

REMARKABLE PROGRESS GREAT SHIPPING TRADE (By W. Barrington Miller.) Everybody knows the story of the man from Los Angeles who was visiting friends in New England, and who, in 1 the course (of events, attended a funeral. The minister of the rural town asked if anyone wished to say a few words about tlie deceased, and on hearing no response the Los Angieleno arose and said heartily: “Well, if no one wants to say anything about the deceased —I’d like to say a few words about Los Angeles.” I wonder if this was the man who founded the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. Anyway, the world probably knows more about Los Angeles and its neighbors, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Pasadena, than any other parts of the United States, except, perhaps, Chicago, at the moment, for the million and a half people who have made Los Angeles what it is to-day never fail to broadcast its wonders. 1 am told it all began when the Spanish invaders of 1606 sent enthusiastic reports to Phillip 111, inducing him to fit out an expedition to California —this being the first record in history of the result of California boosting. The progress made by Los Angeles since my last visit in 1919 is so remarkable that- it is almost impossible to believe the figures. At that time the town had only gained wide notoriety through the moving picture industry-, and tlie consequent growth of Hollywood. To-day it has achieved world prominence as a manufacturing centre, and it ; s claimed to be first among all American norts in volume of intercoastal comnerce, exceeding even New York; secind in tonnage of foreign ports, and hire! in total tonnage of foreign commerce comprising both exports and ini norts.

The remarkable development of shipping in and out of Los Angeles Harbor in six years has, I should think, never 'lefore been equalled in the commercial history of the world. The figures below show the trend of total commerce hrough tlie port: 1920, 3,528,280 tons; 153,919,010 dollars; 1926, 25,133,963 ons; 910,822,189 dollars. The post office' receipts are equally •emarkable: 1885. 46,000 dollars; 1905, ’IO.OOO dollars; 1915, 2,242,000 dollars; ’925, 8.226,000 dollars; 1929, 10,998,000 lollars. ROADWAYS., Radiating like gigantic spokes in a vheei are the miles upon miles of ex•ellent paved highways—the joy of notorists the world over. Perhaps Aowhere in the world are there more nducements for motor travel. North, here are the High Sierras, the Big frees, Yosemite, Santa- Barbara, San i'rancisco; east,, Riverside, the California Desert, tlie Crawl Canyon, Zion Park, he Apache Trail, and Death Valley; :outh, San Diego and Agua Caliente; vest, the Pacific Coast line, connecting lie beach cities, which offer every kind if social life. There are 56 golf courses within one tour’s . drive of Los Angeles., many of hem being open to the public. AUTOMOBILES. As all the world knows, everyone in these parts has an automobile—93 per lent, of them on time payment. Three page boys in this hotel have one each. Out of nearly 32,000,000 automobiles in the world on January 1, 1929, more than 14,000,000 were owned in the United States. ” With 822,487 : passenger- cars registered, Greater Los Angeles is the most : densely motorised district in the world; and, further, holds the distinction of laving by far the highest per capita jf automobile ownership on- the face of tlie globe. An interesting sidelight >f how completely Los .Angeles and suburbs are motorised is gained from he fact that there are in Greater Los Angeles the amazing total of' 211,487 nore automobiles than thero are families. In other words, on the basis if 822,487 cars registered, and 611,005 families in Greater Los Angeles, this district boasts of two cars in every third family, more than enough to put all the city and suburban residents in. motor cars and take them for an outing. The city records for last year show' hat there w,ere 16,000 persons injured in automobile accidents, and 430 fatalities from the same source; that is, roughly, over 300 accidents and nine deaths every week of the year. Perhaps that is why they say there are only two •lasses of people in Los Angeles—the quick and the dead.