The herald., 1896-03-22
The NEW TOURIST HOTEL
COMMENT OF THE PACIFIC COAST PRESS
IS SIGNIFICANT
The Spirit Of Los Angeles Challenged BY the
Generous Efforts Now Being nade by
nany Of its Prominent Citizens Such
hostelry 10 Needed

The universal comment indulged by the
Pacific coast press outside OF this city Win
reference to the erection of the proposed
Adams street tourist hotel is significant
from more than one point OF view. Inc
experience Of innumerable cities and towns
of California which have been provided
with adequate tourist resorts is q pleasant
memory with them and renders the men.
tion of such q project by any other city OF
particular interest. Towns that could
make no possible claim to national atten-
ton otherwise. have been made known
with familiarity and fondness in the far
east in circles where the name Of this com
mercial center means no more than dot
upon map. Many of the suburban towns
of Los Angeles enjoy q reputation for COM
mercial and real estate investment that
would be greatly to the advantage OF the
foremost city of the east. Indeed the
erection of tourist hotel in more than
one case has marked the beginning OF mu.
nicipal growth and development which has
resulted in the building of a city. For
many years the city of Los Angeles, the
commercial, political and social metropo-
lis of southern California, has stood indif-
ferently by and has witnessed the erection
of q hundred tourist resorts in this imme-
diate territory, making no adequate effort
to divide with its competition the profit
Of the hundred thousand tour
lists which annually make California the
scene of q few months soiourn with their
families. This city has witnessed the
growth of this competition, fully aware OF
the material advantage which 1t implies,
apparently regardless of consequences.
This condition has obtained in part owing
to the fact that the city has enjoyed so
much prosperity that it has not felt the
need of exercising that care for its inter-
.sts which mark the conduct OF less IA
vored municipalities of the central and
eastern states.
But the time has now come when this
city must look to every possible avenue OF
municipal growth. The territory of which
it is the commercial center is rapidly fill.
ing up with population, and cities and
towns are building up rapidly. These com.
petitors are pushing for recognition and
wisely providing themselves with adequate
hotel facilities for the accommodation of
that class of wealthy capitalists who are
investing eastern money in California real
estate and mineral lands. This city should
look to it that there shall be provided with
in her gates q place for these travellers 10
rest, and of such magnificence a. to attest
the spirit OF progress and enterprise which
makes investment safe and profitable.
1t is in recognition of these facts that the
committee of representative citizens now
at work raising funds for the proposed
Adams street tourist hotel has become in
terested in the project and are generously
devoting their money and time in behalf
that their efforts are meeting with gener-
GUS support and that very general con-
viction prevails favoring the enterprise.
Nearly 100 of the foremost citizens of the
city are now engaged in collecting funds,
soliciting subscriptions and lending their
influence and time for the accomplish.
ment of the desired result. This argues
much for the ultimate success of the un-
dertaking If those citizens whose property
investments in the immediate vicinity of
the site were to contribute one-half OF the
increase of value which will result to them
would be raised and the burden to each
be light, while if the commercial
interests of the community generally
were to contribute promptly, in proportion
to their interests, the sum would be in
hand at once. and this city would soon
annually costing it hundreds Of thousa ads
of dollars, and this result would be realized
at such insignificant expense to each that
no one would feel it.
Aside from the pecuniary consideration
of the case is the matter of municipal
pride. This city annually invites the
pleasure seekers of the whole country to
it's Fiesta celebration. 1t can show them
palatial homes, stately commercial thor
oughfares, an unsurpassed climate and a
wealth of beautiful scenery, fruits. flowers
and social hospitality which no city upon
contrast with all these attractions is the
humiliatinz exhibition of no adequate IA
cilities for the accommodation Of visitors.
The western states abound with cities and
towns of far less size and infinitely less
commercial importance, not to speak of
attractiveness nor reputation, which boast
from one to half dozen better hotels than
Los Angeles possesses. The spirit of lib
erality and progress of the entire commu-
nifty is challenged by the present move
ment, and it remains to be seen whether
local pride shall respond to the demands
of the occasion and shall see to it that it's
wellearned reputation in the past shall
not be suffered 10 relapse.