Los Angeles herald., 1908-07-12
STEPHENS TELLS
HOW TO EXPAND
CITY CLUB MEMBERS CHEER
BOOSTER ADDRESS
WOULD CREATE ASSESSMENT
COMMISSION
Urges That Tourist Travel Be Guilt
waited, Miners Invited, and Mu-
nlelpaI Housekeeping Be
Improved

Former President w. D. Stephens of
the chamber of commerce addressed
the City club yesterday at the West
minister hotel on What More Shall
We Dor" and in genuine booster style
told what shortcomings Los Angeles
can remedy and how best to do it,
from the speakers view.
Judged by the continuous applause
his hearers conceded with him that
the suggestions were along the right
lines
; No other city, the speaker said, ex-
lists which can compare with Los An
} geles in that none have such beautiful
; sister cities, such transportation facil-
tiles such snow capped mountains and
eternal summer seas and such climate.
There are only eighteen larger cities
| than Los Angeles in the United
States, said Mr.. Stephens. Indeed,
there may be only sixteen, as Los An
geles, Minneapolis and Newark are all
in close competition in population.
1--WE have not realized this, we have
not appreciated the great amount OF
money necessary to be raised by tax
alton nor have we concerned ourselves
sufficiently in municipal expenditures
and economies.
Near Half Million Mark
"The owens river water project and
the Panama canal are under way and
we will soon number half million
people. What more shall we do?
"Above all we will need water
water for our lawns, flowers, gardens,
trees. Constant encouragement must
be given the men who are building
this project.
Good roads must be built from Los
Angeles to every city in Southern Cal
ifornia. 1t will cost US less to build
them than not to build them. The
saving in wagons horses and time to
our citrus, grain, fruit and vegetable
industries in hauling will cover the
cost. Tourists and jewellers here de-
| light in going about and If Los An
geles county votes the bonds on July
80 we shall at an early day commence
to build roads that shall go over the
hills, through the valleys, along the
foothills, through the canyons and up
the mountain sides to the sea from
San Diego to Santa Barbara and from
Santa Monica to San Bernardino.
Pave Business Streets
"our business district, streets and
alleys should all be paveds with Cali
fornia asphaltum or fire brick and
then washed and scrubbed every night.
| Car line streets should be oiled and
planted to shade trees.
|
narrowed as to roadways and broad-I
ened as to park effects. Thirty feet
is sufficient width for all kinds of
driving. Then why make roadways
in streets free from car lines any
wider than that? Why not have the
curbs just that far apart?
would it not be better and prettier
to have the balance of each street
twenty feet back of each curb to the
sidewalk both sides alike in trees,
| flowers and grass? Have the road
ways between the curbs taken care of.
as now. by the street department and
the grass, trees and flowers along the
sides cared for at public expense by
the park department?
1--WE should take down all front yard
partition >fences plant to gardens,
| flowers, vines or grass all rear yards;
grade and pave or oil all alleys; clean
up and plant to geraniums or the like
all vacant lots at house or lot owners
| expense; place all wires in UNDER
ground conduits or else on poles in
alleys.
Must Add to Beauties
"We must add largely and contin-
uously to the natural beauties of Crit
fifth and Elysian parks such artificial
beauty as plenty of water, grass and
flowers can give them.
MAKE other parks and Fairgrounds
in the city and also here and there in
the county outside the city. Trolley
parks and public picnic places In the
arroyos and canyons would be in con-
slant use if parked and nicely kept
Provide good music often in both city
and county parks.
For vital reasons we should create
a city and county amusement commits
sion with money from the public funds
to spend. Have them encourage, subsi-
die or carry on theaters, museums and
song festivals, fiestas, barbecues and
picnics; tennis basketball and golf,
baseball football and cricket; rowing,
sailing and fishing; autoing. driving
and riding for the amusement of our
own people and the entertainment of
our visitors.
To-day, tomorrow and for years the
particular business, the largest and
best paying business for this COM
munity as a whole is and will be the
entertainment of tourists.
"Our summer and winter climate is
our greatest asset, and our tourist in
1ux one that will yield a thousand
instead of a hundred fold If they are
amused while here and sent away as
the sailors werewolf satisfied and
anxious to come again.
The Tourist Crop
"Our tourist crop is a never-failing
annual We can harvest every month
county If we but consistently SOW and
care for the one great business for
which we are best adapted-entertain-
ing tourists.
1.-THE number as well as the attract
iveness of our beach resorts might be
increased. Quiet home places. good
sanitary arrangement, band concerts,
children's amusements, good fishing,
bathing and boating comfortable tents
and cottages, all serve to draw the
people.
Keep alive the local interest in the
old missions. Care for and protect
them from vandal hands. With all the
people beyond the Mississippi there
is a constant longing to see the land
of the mission and the padres.
1--WE must continue to advertise our
climate. Each new day may put an
other hundred persons in the want-to-
come class. Our summers will in years
to come attract even more than our
| winters.
eve must hasten the day when Los
| Angeles and the cities around our har-
Dor shall be all one-one for a great
harbor, one for economy of expense, one
for every measure that shall upbuild
It, yet one that shall be so governed
as to preserve to each city of today
satisfactory local government.
/ eve ask only for what Is fair-fair
to the people, fair to the corporations
| obara Of fha great barhOr of San