Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-07
WANT BORE TO
SAVE PUEBLO
SHOW REASONS FOR NEW
TUNNEL
PASSAGE UNDER FIRST STREET
IS DEMANDED
Organization Sends Communication to
Council Telling Why Improvement
is Needed and Advocated by
Property owners

Every member of the city council
has received a Communication from
the Tunnel improvement association,
the organization that Is working Tor
the tunnel under First street from
Broadway to Fremont, pointing out
the necessity for the Improvement Inc
communication declares that the agl-
tation for the tunnel is due to the
property owners bestirring themselves
to save what was originally the
pueblo starting point OF the city from
threatened neglect and decay. The
communication follows:
I'm presenting a petition for tun-
mel under First street from Broadway
to Fremont avenue it seems fitting that
we should also state the grounds OF
our request.
I'VE call your attention to the facti
that appended to our petition are the
names of many active business men,
the representatives of large estates,
heads of large corporations and citi-
zens of diverse vocations and stations.
"It is sometimes said that 1t is easy
enough to get signatures to a petition.
That depends. If the petition carries
with it the expenditure of large sum
of money which the petitioner must
himself, in one form or another pay,
he is not so free with his signature.
Such is the case with the signers OF
this petition who did it in full view OF
its Importance to themselves and their
fellow citizens.
"a glance at the names appended to
the petition should also put to rout the
suggestion that this Is real estate
move in the interest of property OF
the northwestern section of the city.
On the contrary large number OF the
petitioners have business interests only
east of the hills. The president OF
| the tunnel association which began the
recent agitation is himself interested III
the business section east of the nils.
The members of the north, northeast
and northwest improvement associa-
ton which indorsed the movement
are mainly interested in the section of
the city east of the hills. The fact
Is the growth of the southwest has
drawn upon the lder business sec
tion till empty store and offices warn
property oWSpers that they must bestir
| themselves. ITO the east or south 1t
would be vain at present for them to
look. They turn, therefore, to the
northwest and seek the advantage Of
a closer connection with the growing
district.
To Save Pueblo
1.-THE soul of the tunnel movement is
the original pueblo, Los Angeles, seek
| ing to save herself in business way
from threatened neglect and decay,
| The section west of the hills is one
| of residences and it should have good
transportation and quick access to the
| business section.
"The necessity for a tunnel con-
| ceded, the reasons for locating 1t at
First street are many.
| ~ OF the western barrier Of hills,
stretching from Third street to Temple,
| First street is the center, being 800
feet north of Third street and the
same distance south of Temple. The
First street tunnel would connect the
| east and west on a level grade ana
in quick time.
"(2) First street alone permits of
tunnel from Broadway to Fremont on
a business grade without troublesome
ascent or descent at either end. The
difference in grade between Broadway
and Fremont is just sufficient for ex-
cellent drainage.
"(3) A tunnel under First street
avoids the danger of crossing the
tracks of the Hollywood line just where
the swiftly moving cars emerge from
the Hill street tunnel, and passes un-
| der the same tracks at a sufficient
depth to raise no expensive engineer
|
ing problems.
40 First street offers the only
| chance for an unbroken thoroughfare
from the eastern to the western limits
of the CITY, A glance at map shows
| the Importance of First street, but
| fails to show that In the midst is
| commercially impossible barrier of hills
cutting the street into two sections. A
tunnel makes 1t one street from Boyle
heights to western avenue and be-
yond.
"(5) Practical argument as to the SUI
| perior advantages of First street Is
| indicated by the endorsement of num-
erous public bodies, the favorable COM
ment of the press, and the confessed
change in view of many who formerly
advocated another site.
Want City Funds
"In adopting a policy to finance the
| enterprise in case of its adoption, we
ask the council to have in mind that
the Third street and Broadway tunnels
were paid for out of city funds, in
which those names are appended to the
present petition had their full share,
and that the cost Of the nine bridges
which span the Los Angeles river either
has been or will be, and rightly, too,
met in the same way. A tunnel under
First street is as purely public enter
| prise as any one OI lHe eACellSul
projects named.
1--WE call attention to the fact that
the boring of the Third street tunnel
led to a greatly increased valuation of
property on both sides of the hill. It's
completion was followed by the spring
ing of Hill street into prominence and
was one of the measures leading up to
it. The city treasury receives substan-
tial benefit from the Third street tun-
mel and will receive more as the years
go by. The Third street tunnel was
the very best financial investment the
city of Los Angeles ever made, and the
proposed tunnel under First street
promises as well.
1--WE also ask the city council not to
be unduly influenced by the fact that
the city is financing large public enter
prises and that it's bonded indebted
ness is near the legal limit. Older cities
are in the SAND condition, and in city
of such rapid growth as Los Angeles