A WONDER CITY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 225, 17 June 1919, Page 8

A WONDER CITY

LOS ANGELES VALUE OF THE COMMUNITY IDEA Visiting Wellington nt tho present time is Mr. Albert Goldie, an emissary of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and Board of Harbour Commissioners, whoso mission to New Zealand and Australia is to assist in making Los Angeles as noteworthy a port as it' is a city. Los Angeles proper is 20 miles away from the coast. San Pedro used to bo the name of the seaport, but jealous of its fcood name, and with its eye on tho future, San Pedro exists no longer—it is Los Angeles all _ the way, and actually there is residential settlement all along that twenty miles of roadway, which, from its smoothness, is tho most popular motor ride thereabouts.

"One of the great charms about Los Angeles," says Mr, Goldie, "is tho perfect roads that radiate in every direction, oiled roads as smooth as satin, with no dust to trouble the man behind, and flowers all the way. There are hundreds of miles of tho oiled roads, and all of them, I think without inception, are flanked with garden strips, about three or four yards wide, between the sidewalk and the road. In the rose 6eason the effect is extremely beautiful.

"The people of Los Angeles take an interest in their city and their homes. What would be considered a very ordinary kind qf bungalow there would create a sensation if erected in one of your New Zealand towns. These bungalows are never the same, yet each one is a perfect picture of what a home should' be, and all conform to and hartnoniso with the surroundings. Front fences are unknown. Were there such a relic, it would be regarded as ft curiosity from the quaint oM past. There 'is just a street alignment, and from that alignment to the house are little lawns and perfectlykept gardens. Without the protection of fences people have to keet> their places clean and pioturesgue. Were it otherwise they would be marked down as folk who were 'letting tho 6treot down,' and means would be taken to shake them into a new sense of their responsibilities. That is the community idea—a wonderful idea with magical effects. Two or threo people may have a good idea, but they cannot work it, but if 10,000 seize on the importance or advantage of that idea they can do itquick!

"That is ono tiling; I do honestly admire in tho American people," continued Mr. Goldie; "their capucily to get the thing done that is needed'. English people are slow in becoming seized with a real need, and when they do get it, it. as a rule, takes them years to got it going. In America they do hustle along. Los Angeles itself is a lino samplo of Yitnkeo hustle. Nature did nothing for it—it is all man-made, yet to-day it is one of the most unique and beautiful cities to be seen—a city that is growing by leaps and bounds, and one destined to be the great centre of Southern California. And it has largely been the practice of the community idea that has made the growth of the outer city the wonder it is. A suburb, for examplo, will concoivo the idea that it Would be bettor off if it possessed a big up-to ; date hotel. Thereupon tho idea would be studied, and, if approved, everyone in that suburb would be obliged to take up stock in the company. It did 'not matter very much if the hotel paid, for the investors invariably secured a return in the increased business they did by virtue of the existence of the hotel. If it paid, so much the better. There tho foyer or lobby of ths hotel was the assembly point for half the town. It was usually a large, magtiificeutly-furnished apartment, perfectly open to the public; indeed, it was there to invite the public in. and no ono coldly stared at ono with a quizzical 'Are you a guest?' look. There business men mado appointments, and friends exchanged greetings, and mado their social arrangements. "Speaking, of hotels reminds me that 1 the States are to dry up at the end of July. California—a wet Stato—is fighting hard against the edict, and is even pleading to bo cut off from tho Whole of tho States, and regarded as an independent ono on this question. This is but natural, as California is a wine-growing country, and vast interests are at stake. A great fight is being put up in America in favour of the retention of light beers and wines—none with more than U per cent, of alcohol—arid I believe that will bo the outcome of the present trouble. I thinkthe days of whisky, brandy, and other strong spirituous drinks are gone for ever in America, but there is much to bo said for light beer and wines. It will bo very interesting to see what happens at the end of July. "Los Angeles has several very attractive seasido resorts, pnd the way in which they have been developed is a pattern to the whole world. Venice is one of these ideal resorts. It has its beautiful beaches and wonderful amusement piers, and tho town itself is a series of artificial canals—filled with water pumped from the sea. The canals are spanned with the high-stepped Venetian bridges, and are alive with gondolas. 11l tho evening these canals are lighted with coloured electric lamps, and the scene is ono of glamorous beauty. All along tho banks of these canals are pretty little seasido bungalows, each vying with the other in prettiness of design and exterior elaboration. As the water is pumped into the canals every day it is always fresh, and the bungalow dwellers bathe in them every morning.