Most of Tacoma's industries are centred on 1,500 acres of tidelands extending the width of the southern boundary of the harbor, the whole interlaced with railroad tracks and road ways.
Banks and Banking.— Tacoma has six na tional and State banks. At one tirne there were 10, the decrease being due to mergers of the largest institutions. The deposits 1 Jan. 1919 totaled $38,139,781. The clearings for 1918 were $243,973,348, while the bank transactions amounted to $775,311,157. Postal savings de posits were $1,135,732. The clearing house was established in 1889, and includes all the banks in the city, which own the buildings in which they are located.
Government and The city adopted the commission form of government in 1910. Five commissioners, one of them mayor, all popularly elected, serve four-year terms. The city controller is the only other elective official. The police and fire depart ments are well organized, the fire department being completely motorized. The city owns and operates a 12,00;1,000 hydro-electric power plant of 32,0C4) horse-power capacity; a $2,300, 000 gravity water system with a 42,000,000• gallons daily capacity; a municipal freight and passenger dock, and a municipal street car line on Ilth street serving the industrial district. The total length of paved streets is 110 miles; improved streets, 307 miles; cement sidewalks, 408 miles; sanitary sewers, 224 miles; storm sewers, 339 miles. Assessed valuation (50 per cent of the true valuation) is $59,508,611. The bonded indebtedness, $3,394,000. City power rate is .45 of a cent to two cents per lcilowatt, according to load factor, cheapest rate in the country. Private power companies have plants with a capacity of 72,000 horse power, with practically identical rates. The streets of the aty are electrically lighted. A single gas plant supplies Tacoma consumers; also those in the city of Olympia. The parks and playgrounds are administered by the metropolitan park board, members of which are elected by popu lar vote. The acreage of parks is 1,200, includ ing Point Defiance Park and Zoo, 662 acres, and Wright Park, 40 acres. In addition are park areas outside of the city limits surround ing Spanaway Lake, Steilacoom Lake, Ameri can Lake, and Gravelly Lalce. There are four
golf clubs with 18-hole courses.
Public Buildings and Most promi nent of public buildings are Federal building (United States Post Office, custom office, internal revenue, and federal court), Pierce County Court House, City Hall, Tacoma building (owned by Tacoma Commercial Club and Chamber of Commerce and Weyerhaeuser Timber Company), National Realty building, 16 stories; Fidelity building, 12 stories; Tacoma Theatre, Jones Block (Pantages Theatre), William L. Davis building, Perkins building, News-Tribune building, Tacoma Hotel, Olympus Hotel, 'Northern Pacific Headquarters building, Rhodes building, Provident building, National Bank of Tacoma building, Bank of California building, Scandinavian-American Bank building, Elks Club. Prominent club4 include Elks, Union Club, University Club, Moose, Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club, all but last two owning their own buildings; Automobile Club, Y. M. C. A., Y. W. C. A., Commercial Club and Chamber of Commerce, Tacoma Country and Golf Club, lakeside Country Club, Lochburn Golf Club, and Meadow Park Golf Club, Tacoma Yacht Club, Tacoma Tennis Club, Soldiers and Sailors Club.
Six railroads have ter minals or connections in the city. The Northern Pacific and Chicago, Milwaukee and Saint Paul railways have their western terminals in Tacoma, including car repair shops, and ocean docks. The Great Northern and the Oregon and Washington (Union Pacific) railroads operate in the city, andthe Great Northern has connections with the Canadian Pacific and the Chicago Great Western railroads. Electric interurban trains operate between Tacoma and Seattle on a half-hour schedule; also between Tacoma and Puyallup. There is a total of 143 miles of track operated by the local traction. company. Automobile stages on regular schedules operate on a dozen paved highways to every city and town in Pierce County and adjoining counties, including the cities of Seattle, Olympia, Aberdeen and Hoquiam, and Chehalis and Centralia. Local steamers operate to all points on Puget Sound, including Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia, and to Pacific Coast and Alaskan ports.