The herald., 1898-12-30
the PROPOSED CHANGE
PROBABLE EFFECT OF WHOLE
sALERs' REMOVAL
It May Bring to Los Angeles Street an
Influx Of Small Factories Now
Elsewhere Located

P. M. Daniels proposed scheme of remov-
ing the wholesale business mems district
from it's present location to one auspciously
situated near the tracks Of the Southern Pa
cific company, near Alameda and First
streets, is attracting good deal Of attention,
and it is now being carefully studied by the
wholesalers themselves, who are alive to the
many advantages, If consummated, that the
plan presents. That it must reduce ex-
penses, the matter of rent being satisfac-
torily adjusted, is undeniable, although ma
jority of the dealers are not disposed to ad-
nit that the matter of drayage is such a very
large item as has beer asserted by, the adj
vocates of the project. That handling and
drayage foots up $l5 per carload under pres
ent circumstances they deny, but even at the
most conservative fgures-$5 to $l0-the
grand yearly total cannot failftp|be an i'm
mense sum, which saved adds SO much to
the facilities Of the local dealers to compete
with those of other points and to supply
merchants from the Tehachapi mountains to
New Mexico. The advantages that must
necessarily come with the adoption of the
Daniel scheme are quite self-evident, and
all that is necessary to be convinced is to fol-
low the satisfactory results which similar
enterprise produced in St. Louis.
Mr. Daniel and his associates have ac-
quired considerable area in the First and
Alameda street region, but if the project
should meet with the commendation and ap-
proval of the wholesalers it is a question
whether the space, large as it is, would be
ample to accommodate all. Fortunately,
there are in the same vicinity still other
blocks and lots which could be made to bene-
fit by the nearness of the railroad tracks
by the building of switches and the subse-
ouent exemption from the need of paying
profit-reducng drayage charges. 1t is prob
able, however, that now the Daniel scheme
has become public property that realestate
rates in that quarter will undergo an import
ant advance.
If brought to successful issue the project
will result in claiming at once those
wholesale merchants who have no strings
on them, such as long leases or the owner
ship in fee of the Los Angeles street ware
houses, and the others will be bound to fol-
low whenever they can, because it would
place at too great disadvantage those
rival business men engaged in the same lines
who should elect to remain in the old loca-
tion while the others were at the new
stand.
A not too pessimistic view should be taken
of the effect that the change of location will
have upon the old mart. Los Angeles
street is one of the widest streets in the city,
and admirably paved for heavy traffic. 1t
may lose its wholesale business houses, but
the solid buildings, nearly all more or less
freproof, which it contains, will have oc-
cupants soon after the departure of its pres
ent tenants. 1t is a street which is well
adapted to factories of the kind in which
heavy steam enginesare not required and of
these there are numbers which would want
to select the vacant quarters. Opinions on
the future of the business part Of Los An
geles street are divergent, but the gloomy
ones come more particularly from that class
which is nowise interested in the matter
Those who speak understandingly on it say
that with the tendency of the city to move
south, both in residence and business dis
tricts, there is no improbability that trades
people whose shops and factories lie north
of the plaza will move to Los Angeles street
when the exodus of wholesalers commences.
As stated yesterday, Mr. Daniel plan will
be matured in a few weeks. when they will
become thoroughly public. Until then what
ID to happen will consist more or less of sur
misses, but that the project must benefit the
wholesalers, if not others, in this city, can
not be doubted. The draymen will prob
ably not like to see the source of their pres.
ent reverence cut abruptly down, but the
process of evening up will in their case prob
ably work also. so that in the end they may
not be dissatisfied with the change.