BEFORE THE RUIN

Hokitika Guardian, 16 March 1933, Page 6

BEFORE THE RUIN

COUNTY OF LOS, ANGELES

A WEALTHY, THRIVING DISTRICT

Most of the damage done, in the 'recent earthquake"appears to have occurred within the boundaries ol the County of Los Angeles. This is a region* with- an area qf‘ 4116 square miles, embracing-2o miles of coastline .and stretohiiig inland for 45 miles. It has now q population of $300,009} iof ‘ which, I,7'bdvqCO ‘ are native-born whitc-s. Its assessed wealth is in excess of £573,000,000. Apart from ; groat agricultural actiyity,, the countyhas 4000 industrial establishments, giving, employment to 114,003 men and women and turning cut products valued at a year. It- ’ contains five cities and 48 towns and townships. , .. Tire city of Las Angeles, located an a vast roiling,pkin between the Sierra Madre Mountains and the, Pacific Ocean covers an administration, area of 450 square miles, much of which lies over a'jwfts through the first range of foothills upon , a higher level in the iSan Favnandq Valley. The city, Which was founded bv Royal order fromthe. lying of Spain in \7,SI, stands fifth 'in population- rank jn- the United .- S-tat'r.*, with, over . 1,300,000 inha-bi-jtants. ... . > CLIMATIC ADVANTAGES.

Blessed with -a 'climate uniformly pleasant throughout,, the with abundant natural wealth,) 11 Wli nnturahgas,.: hvdro-e}ectrio, power and- water .for .Irrigation,’,. it. has. not only >t-t-r-?.ctcd a huge industrial population, but. also a vast- army.cf people possessing independent, means, and desiring a pleasant-place in which to live. Add-d i to these are thousands of visitors who throng the hotels and apartment hoOAeV of the. city and it.? satellite, seaside' towns . aIU the' year, and especially in winter, when ithe genialcliriiat’e )attracts' many who wish to e-setine the rigours that the season brings to the greater pari- of- North America. » -. ■ ' ’ ; Lbs Angeles City, like fhe kingdom .of Poland, Ims a. “corridor” running ..to the sea about 29 miles distant and connecting with the magnificent' - har- . Pouf which its enterprise 1 has created at enormous cost within a 1 comparatively short span of years. Los AngoLs is now the base of the United States Fleet and .? port of call not only for ■ freighters and oil-tankers, 'but also for passenger linens running to all parts , r | the Fhcifip and also to Atlantic ports through The Panama' C-anfl.

HOLLYWOOD' AND' LONG. BEACH. .Within-the city, and seven miles, frpm its; .centre’ lies Hollywood, the centre of the American; niotionrpieture industry and ; a city in itself ( - with < a -population of 183,(100 and many ~ inoustrial activities unconnected with'the business of mlalcing-. films.

Long Beech, situated’ immediately south-east' of .W’ Angeles Harbour, lids-'-risen’ in tliree- decaded of fhpid development from a town cf 2200 inhabitant;; to a • seaside metropolis with a population of 160,CK0: It li’as one of the finest school systems in California, ’beautiful parks aikl a magnificent road system. The excellent hat’opiir has been developed at . a cost of' more , than £2,QOO;O0O. More tlian ISO industrial plants have a yearly,, output valued at- over £10,000,C00. The presence of the Battle Fleet has stimulated work at the waterfront during the past year. £;.ni & Pedro, with a .population of 40,000, is on the coast a few miles to the north of Long Beach, and is princii;»ally an industrial .and shipping centre, handling the bulk cf the trade cf tile area'. P.asadena, more .to the north-east of the city, hasOa population of 80,000. Lying in the foothills of the Sierra MV.dn? Mountains,, it is famous for . its beautiful homes and gardens’, its wide, tree-lined’ boulevards, its institutions and its hotels. . ' Other well-known centres, with their populations, are: —Beverley . Hills, “home of’ tile film stars,” with a population of 22,500; Redondo Beach, 10,090, a new sbeach reio-rt 20 miles from Los Angeles; end Palisades del R,ey, an exclusive residential area along the /im of the bluffs overlooking the Pacific.