Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-07
Accusation Against Los An
geles Refuted.
WHERE PRIDE IS SHOWN
MONEY SPENT IN ADVERTISING
THE CoUNTRY's ADVANTAGES.
Charles Dwight Willard Tells of the
Work Of the Different Business
Mems Associations.
BY WILLIAM z. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM II. CUhIlS.
Special Correspondence of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald
LOS ANGELES, Cal. August 80. 1905
The people of Los Angeles have frequent
ly been accused of lack of public spirit
Visitors often express surprise at the alb
sence of monuments. benevolent institu-
lions and other public edifces erected by
the results. I mentioned this to Charles
Dwight Willard. secretary of the Municipal
League and asked for an explanation. Mr.
Willard. by the way. Is from Chicago-a son
Of Dr. Samuel Willard. He is a newspaper
man by trade and was formerly editor of
the Los Angeles Evening Express. but Of
recent years has become an authority upon
municipal government and devotes himself
to that topic. He has written a good deal
for magazines and newspaper syndcates
and has been employed by the Municipal
League Of Los Angeles to study and re-
port upon problems that apply directly to
this city. For that purpose he has visited
all Of the principal cities of the United
States and has Investigated their municipal
policies and methods. He Is now secretary
of the league, which Is composed of COZ
regular members. who contribute 81 per
month each to maintain the organization
and raise money by subscription at election
times to promote good government. 1t has
had large influence and has done a great
deal for the public welfare.
Where Public Spirit Is Shown.
In reply to my inquiry as to the lack OF
public spirit. Mr.. Willard said: while 1t Is
true that Los Angeles does not show stat
uary on its streets or an art gallery or a
public library or fountains or other artistic
evidences of the devotion of It's citizens,
this may be accounted for by the fact that
II is city of newcomers. While money
has been made here, II has not yet happen
ed that any number of wealthy men have
lived their lives and made their money in
the city. and II is that class of men who are
to be relied upon for this particular form
of public spirit. Public spirit, however,
that shows itself in activity to secure new
Corners, in developing the city on Its COM
mercial side and also IN civic betterment,
exists here, believe. to an unusual degree.
Evidence OF II Is to be found in actual
achievements In those particulars. also in
the public organizations that exist and
work for these purposes. On the CONNER
cial side there are three to be noted-one of
them OF huge proportions and the other two
smaller; One Of the smaller ones is the
Jobbers' Association which contains the
wholesale men and manufacturers and
deals with railway freight rates and the de-
velopment OF jobbing territory. As a job
bling center Los Angeles reaches out into
Arizona and central California and covers
thoroughly all of southern California: that
is to say. south of Teha chapi 1t lacks
facilities for trade with Mexico as yet, but
as the harbor develops that will be secured
The Merchants Association contains sew
eral hundred merchants of Los Angeles and
deals with local issues, such as subscrip-
lions to charities and for public purposes
all of which must be passed upon by the
ASSOCIATION before anw of Its members will
subscribe; relations between capital and
labor, including boycotts and so forth, and
legislation that particularly affects the In
terests OF the merchants. But the large
and important body is the chamber of
commerce, which contains over 1900 men,
bers, each of whom pay 81 a month MAX
Ing a total income of So, 600 year. This
money is used, directly or indirectly, In ad-
vertising the country. To this sum Ia add
from time TO time by the county authori-
ties and also by the state, and by sub
scriptons from individuals.
Advertising the Country.
In fifteen years OF It's existence" con-
tinued Mr. Willard. the chamber of COM
merce has used something like three-quar-
tiers OF a million dollars in advertising this
immediate region by matter in newspapers
and magazines, exhibits at great fairs trav-
cling exhibits exhibits prepared for lectures,
permanent exhibit In San Francisco and
permanent exhibit covering 2l,OOO square
feet in it's own building in Los Angeles
people every year, and quantities of liter
AZURE are distributed there and at other
points all over the United States Alto
gether the chamber OF commerce has is-
sued fifty pamphlets with a total circula-
ton OF over million copies. The cham
Der Is financially sound, owning a six
story building with a frontage of 1876 feet
on the best street in the city. This is
headquarters for every line of work that
may be called public business
THE civic development OF the city is
cared for chiefly by the Municipal League,
which works always in unison with the
commercial bodies.
I'm 1888. when the chamber of commerce
came into existence. the city had something
ike $1,000 people and was in rather de-
moralized condition, as result of the over
confidence OF newcomers, who had organ
lied a preposterous land boom. There were
no serious failures and fundamentally the
country was all right. but people were
loaded up with real estate that they had
no use for, the prices of which rested on
the basis of an enormous and immediate
Increase in population, far beyond reason
able probability, The first immediate work
of the chamber was to put stop to the H.
natured Jealousies of the various sections
of southern California against one another
and unite them In the common purpose of
building pthe whole region together
Doubled in Population,
by 1900 the city had doubled in popula-
tion, the increase having been about ten
per cent per annum. This was in spite OF
dry years and in spite of hard times that
had occurred during the early nineties and
throughout the east. The volume OF busi-
ness shown in the clearing house returns
was about two and One-half millions a
month in 1880. This has risen to fifteen mil
lions month In 1900 and Is now up to near
ly forty millions month. The money in
vested in buildings, which In $780, 81 ag-
gregated only a little over a million a year,
has risen. until at the present time for a