Los Angeles

Harbour and Commerce.

San Pedro bay, in Spanish times, afforded an uncertain roadstead. It was chosen because accessible by a level land route from the city, 24 m. away. The Americans established a stage route (1852) to the harbour and later a rail road (1869) but San Francisco enjoyed most of the sea trade. A long fight for Los Angeles harbour ended with annexation of two towns, San Pedro and Wilmington (1909), and the building of a breakwater by the U.S. Government (1 91 0) and an inner harbour by the city (1912-14). The Panama Canal was opened at the same time, but the World War temporarily disorganized foreign trade. Growth was immediate when the war ended, rising from 2,000,000 short tons a year export and import to 17,829,388 short tons in 1935. Los Angeles harbour stands next to New York in ocean tonnage, and rivals it likewise in intercoastal tonnage (12,982,126 short tons, 1935). With 4o m. water front, and capacity for large ocean vessels, harbour facilities are being en larged in co-operation with the city of Long Beach, which has a separate inner harbour. The chief imports in 1935 were vegetable oil, copra, lumber, clay, coffee, fish, crude oil, iron and steel, and fertilizer. Petroleum and petroleum products constituted '1,638, 318 tons of the 13,127,473 tons exported or 89%, but there was a considerable trade in fruit and chemicals. Los Angeles harbour is the nearest major Pacific terminus for the Panama Canal, and is within easy access of trade routes to the Orient and Europe. It is an operating centre for the U.S. navy.

As a Tourist Centre.—Los Angeles is a travel centre for the south-west. Several thousand visitors arrive in the city daily by train, automobile, motor bus, ship and aeroplane. The tourist traffic in 1927 was estimated at approximately 1,500,000. Accom modation for visitors is on a large scale, I,o00 hotels and 2,300 apartment houses having facilities for 275,000 persons. Cottages, boarding and lodging houses, automobile camps, restaurants and cafeterias provide for visitors. At first travel was limited chiefly to the winter season; but now summer travel slightly exceeds winter, a change brought about by better knowledge of the cool summers, and by activities of the All Year Club of Southern California.

Streets and Traffic.—In the business district, streets run chiefly at right angles to diagonal compass points; elsewhere to direct compass points, with winding terraces where hills are built upon. Broad boulevards give access to the ocean, fruitful valleys and mountain wilderness. Motor bus lines operate in both urban and interurban traffic. Traffic congestion, formerly acute, has been relieved by automatic signals governing both vehicles and pedestrians. Steam railways skirt the eastern and northern boun daries of the city; the main area is served by electric street cars, which are operated over 372 m. of track. With the development of hydro-electricity, Los Angeles became the centre of a network of electric interurban lines.

Water and Power.

Water is an important factor in the growth of a city in a semi-desert region. In 1904, this need was anticipated ; William Mulholland, chief engineer of the city's water department, suggested an aqueduct to the east side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, 25o m. from the business district, through the Mohave desert. By 1908 bonds had been voted, and work begun. In 1913 the Los Angeles aqueduct was finished, 233 m. in length, from intake to reservoir, the longest work of its kind in the world. The cost of construction was nearly $25,000, 000. In the 233 m. there are 142 tunnels ; 97 m. of covered con duit ; 12 m. of syphons; 37 m. of lined canal; and 24 m. of unlined canal. The capacity, about 280,000,00o gal. daily, is sufficient for 2,000,00o people; 250,000 ac. of land are irrigated with the surplus. For use in construction, 127 m. of railroad and 215 m. of highway were built. Power is supplied by an equally remark able municipal system. The major portion of the electrical energy comes over a transmission line of 266 m. from Boulder Dam. The four generators completed April 1937 supplied ii5,000 horse power each. Five plants in San Francisqueto Canyon send 175,750 horse power a distance of 5o miles and two steam plants supply 200,000 horse power. Rates for electricity and water are very low.

Finance.—Los Angeles is important in banking because capital is brought by newcomers, in addition to wealth produced locally. The surrounding country turns to it as the financial centre. Bank deposits grew from $118,000,000 in 1910 to $1,100,000,000 in 1927; yearly clearings increased from less than $1,000,000,000 in 1910 to $5,852,244,000 in 1935. Much capital is invested directly in land, buildings, oil and manufactures. There is also a large, growing investment in securities. The Los Angeles stock exchange transactions for the year 1936 were 12,662,164 shares valued at $112,620,645. The most recent financial development is in export and import trade.

Buildings.—Los Angeles is a somewhat hurriedly built city, now taking permanent form. Since the World War (192o-35 inclu sive) $1,390,000,000 has gone into building; the number of build ing permits in 1935 was 21,559, and their value, $32,519,000. This activity has made the city a centre of design and invention. Early builders adapted the bungalow, from India, as most suitable for the climate and the spacious sites then available. With more compact sites, the "California house" of Spanish design has re placed the bungalow. The city had almost no notable public build ings until 1925, but since that date a civic centre is being de veloped. The City Hall and the Hall of Justice have been com pleted. Other recently completed buildings are Hollywood police and fire stations, Lincoln Heights jail, and Georgia Street hospital.