Polk's Oakland (California) city directory, 1928, Part 3

Author: R.L. Polk & Co
Publication date: 1928
Publisher: Oakland, Calif. : R.L. Polk & Co.
Number of Pages: 1708

USA > California > Alameda County > Oakland > Polk's Oakland (California) city directory, 1928 > Part 3
USA > California > Alameda County > Oakland > Polk's Oakland (California) city directory, 1928 > Part 3

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Western and Pacific Coast markets select Oakland for factory location and warehouse storage for many fundamental reasons. One is that Oakland, according to statistical ex- perts, is 15 per cent nearer to the entire Pacific Coast population than is any other city, and also that it furnishes the most efficient route to the markets of he Pacific Ocean. Another is that, according to government figures, Oakland has the best year-round work- ing climate in the United States. Still others are that low land values, which reduce capital investment and overhead; the presence of abundant and cheap power, which also reduces production costs; the proximity of manifold transcontinental and oceanic trans- portation services, which reduces handling and carrying charges; and the closeness of the rich and productive back country, which lessens cost of raw materials and of food commodities-all combine to make factory operation low and living conditions cheaper and better for labor itself.

Oakland's living costs are about 15 per cent lower than in eastern industrial centers, while Oakland's death rate per thousand population is only 10 as compared with 14 for the entire United States.

Value of

Bank clearings

$223,000,000

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

Industry seeks such perfect locations and such unequalled climate as Oakland has available. It should be the duty of Oakland and representative Oakland organizations to get behind a movement, not only to point out our advantages to big industry, not only to settle big industrial plants on the magnificent sites on and adjacent to our harbor and many transcontinental railroad terminals, but to see that such industries, when once settled here, are given every opportunity for suecess and advancement. Our climate and other advantages are known-but Oakland must also gain and keep the reputation of being a city appreciating the location of great industries, and eager to do all in her power to aid them. To achieve such a result, Oakland must present to all comers a united and harmonious front-for industries, like individuals, prefer a community determined to make the best of its opportunities and convinced that by so doing it can achieve great- ness. Witness Los Angeles with not half our natural advantages.

Great concerns, with their huge payrolls, have greatly accelerated the wave of pros- perity already started by our own purely local organization. Moreover, through their affiliations in the Eastern centers of industry, Oakland's name is becoming nationally know nas a city of industrial opportunity, while the "Oakland" stamp on their products is carried into every port and nation in the world. Yet we must not be content-we in Oakland must demand more, and present a concordant and unselfish front in co-operating with newcomers for our mutual success.

THE BUSINESS DISTRICT

Despite the unprecedented building activities in our downtown district during the fiscal year of 1926-27, as has been mentioned, Oakland in the past year has seen a large number of splendid developments in the same area. Many of these are not yet completed, yet the record of their initiation comes within the scope of this history.

Properly first among these is the new building of the recently organized Capwell- Emporium Company, a Ten Million Dollar corporation, which is now being built to cover practically a city block bounded by Telegraph Avenue, Twentieth Street, Broadway and Nineteenth Street. This mercantile house will cover 80,000 square feet of land, and though present plans call for a structure four and one-half stories in height with a floor space of over eleven acres, the foundation is being constructed to withstand the weight of a seven-story building. It will cost Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars; and the total value of the improvements, including land, will approximate at least Five Million. Its construction is a monument to the faith in Oakland of great mercantile interests-while its development between two main North and South arterials at 20th Street is indicative of the determination of big business to break from the old barriers bounded on the north by 14th and Broadway and to follow its northern trend of traffic.

Another proof that business is expanding beyond the old barriers is the construction of the $150,000 New Century Market on the block bounded by Jefferson on the East, Fourteenth on the North, Grove on the West and Thirteenth on the South. Such location on Fourteenth Street, our most widely used cross-city artery starting where the combined Alameda County highways join at our Eastern boundary line and flowing westward through the heart of Oakland straight for the Western waterfront, marks a construction most logical. The construction will be of the most modern type, including the newest developments in refrigeration and sanitary devices, all conveniences for the shopping public, radio towers, even a menagerie for the children of customers. As an added facility the New Century Market organization has purchased a large area on the block to the south to be used as a parking lot for its customers, with gas, oil, and repair service in readiness. The market itself, with 192 stalls, already has received nearly 790 offers for space-it will be the largest west of the Mississippi and one of which all Oakland can well be proud.

Of outstanding importance in the way of civic development as well as new construc- tion are the newly formed Women's City Club and the Women's Athletic Club. The six- story building of the former, costing $350,000, is nearly completed, covering a large footage on Alice Street, just north of Fourteenth. The latter is rising six stories in the Grand Avenue district, covering an area of 140 by 132 feet on Bellevue Avenue facing Lake Merritt. Designed by Oakland architects. it will have all the conveniences of the modern athletic club, swimming pool, gymnasium, dining and lounge rooms, private living rooms, and so on. Both these buildings are tokens of the civic enterprise of Oakland women, and fine additions to the city's social, club and civic life.

Oakland women are again to be congratulated in the completion this year of the new Baby Hospital, on Dover Street, costing $282,757. This philanthropic enterprise has for long taken a prominent place among our city's charitable organizations, and the new construction comes as result of the untiring efforts and mutual sacrifice of hundreds of public spirited Oakland women.

The new Peralta Hospital, built at Thirtieth and Hawthorne Streets, costing $500,000, and equipped with every latest medical and hygenic device, is another notable addition to Oakland's many fine hospital facilities.

MAYOR'S MESSAGE, 1928

WILKE ARCHITECT SOM FRANCISCOA CALLRID

Madison-Lake Apartments, completed during year on Madison Street at Lakeshore Drive, em- bodying latest features of the hotel-apartment type of dwelling.

Another project initiated during the year is the new Girl's Hotel. The construction of this building, to cost $350,000, is anticipated in the near future.

The new Franklin Building-twelve stories high, costing $380,000, and completed last fall on Franklin Street near Seventeenth-is another fine addition to our downtown buildings. It marks a continuation of the permanent development of Franklin Street, a development that found its impetus when after many years of effort I finally brought about the removal of the car tracks, converting Franklin into one of Oakland's new and finest business boulevards.

In the amusement field the outstanding construction is the new $800,000 Oakland Theatre, now almost completed on Telegraph Avenue, between Seventeenth and Eighteenth Streets. This marks the fourth large unit of the West Coast Theatre organization in Oak- land. With its 4500 seating capacity it will be one of the largest moving picture houses in the country.

The Duffwin Theatre, dedicated to the "legitimate" stage, now practically completed on Seventeenth Street between Telegraph and San Pablo Avennes at a cost of $150,000. marks the second theatre to be built this year well north of the old Fourteenth Street barrier of Oakland's business center. As does the new Oakland Theatre, this also points out the faith of theatrical people in our city, and is indicative again of the growing ten- dency of Oakland people to find amusement within our own boundaries.

These two theatrical developments give me the opportunity of urging once more that Oakland people patronize Oakland places of amusement. Our city now offers increasingly the best in both the legitimate and the motion picture theatrical business, as well as in the complementary adjunct of excellent places of refreshment and dancing in hotels and restaurants and cabarets.

That Oakland's theatrical status is being more and more recognized, it is only neces- sary to point out that this year the Chicago Grand Opera Company chose the Oakland Municipal Auditorium for its only Bay District performances, and that such New York companies as brought out the Student Prince and the Desert Song likewise produced in Oakland. The Chicago Opera Company played four night, with an average paid attend- ance of 6500 persons each performance. On this I will write more fully later-but the

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

Moraga Fire House, opened during early part of year on Moraga Road-an innovation in fire house buildings given publicity all over the country.

point I wish to make here is that our own city now offers the best in the amusement line and Oaklanders will do well to patronize their own home theatres, hotels, cabarets and restaurants. We have the best, and every dollar spent on this side of the Bay is a dollar supporting Oakland enterprise and Oakland citizens.

Other new buildings of consequence are the Income Securities Building and the Wm. A. Cavalier Building on Fourteenth Street, the first north between Franklin and Web- ster, the second south between Franklin and Broadway.Apartment house additions that are notable are the Madison-Lake, six stories and costing $600,000 on Lakeside Drive at Lake and Madison Streets; and the new Jackson Residential Hotel, costing $450,000 and with six stories on the west side of Jackson Street just south of the Lake. Both are the new apartment-hotel type, including in their limits barber shops, beauty parlors, drug stores, medical attendance, and novelty shops-a credit to the city.

ADMINISTRATIVE ACHIEVEMENTS

Twenty Per Cent Tax Reduction Effected

The outstanding achievement of the administration marking the fiscal year just passed is the reduction of the property tax. It has long been my conviction, and in this 1 am backed by economists and tax experts of this country and of Europe, that low property taxes invariably result in an influx of new citizens, new industry, new business. In the past, I grieve to state, several great industries, though enthusiastic over Oakland's industrial location where rail, air and water meet, and wide awake to our all year- round working climate-declared hy government appraisers to be the best working climate in America-nevertheless located in other coast cities because Oakland's former tax rate added too exorbitantly to their operating overhead.

In fixing the city budget at the beginning of the past fiscal year, therefore, the new administration, looking to Oakland's reputation as an industrial city as well as to the needs of our home-owning public, cut over One Million Dollars from the expenditures of the previous year. This resulted in reduction of the Oakland city tax rate-with no in- crease in assessments-by 51c; bringing the old tax rate of $2.50 down to $1.99. This radical tax cut and stand for economy had its effect upon the Alameda County authori- ties, who promptly followed our example, cutting the county rate from $3.60 to $3.17.

MAYOR'S MESSAGE, 1928

NA-WILKS AKKURAT

Jackson Residential Hotel, recently opened on Jackson Street, near Lake Street, also embodying features of the most modern hotel-apartment type.

The total tax rate for Oaklanders was therefore reduced from a total of $6.10 to a total of $5.16-saving Oakland owners of homes, business property and industrial sites prac- tically One Dollar on every Hundred Dollars at which their property was assessed. Un- douhtedly this great reduction of approximately Twenty per cent in tax-overhead was one of the causes of the Spring building activity hitherto described-and just as undoubt- edly it will result in an influx of new settlers, both of those seeking homes and those searching for Pacific Coast industrial plant location.

Indicative of the manner in which the taxes could be cut and still maintain municipal efficiency I have but to mention the Street Department appropriation, which was reduced from the $870,000 of the previous year down to $550,000 in the last year. Needless employees, numbering some 165, were dispensed with, resulting in a great saving with no loss of departmental efficiency-while the policy of putting in only concrete streets, which I urge and upon which I will speak later, will also ultimately result in still further reduction in upkeep.

Consolidation of Tax Assessment and Collection Functions

Another great saving was achieved by a consolidation of two city and county offices. which I advocated many years and finally put through to be effective during the just passed fiscal year; namely, the merging of the assessment and collection of city taxes with the similar county functions. This has resulted in the saving, for the one year alone, of over $95,000. In the fiscal year 1926-27 it cost the city assessor's and tax collector's offices $105,000 to perform these functions. In the year just passed, the County did the same work for the city for the total sum of approximately $8.000. The saving amounts to nearly five cents on the tax rate. In my appeal for "City and County" government for Oakland, to be dwelt upon later on. I will show how the consolidation of all our governmental functions can cnt even our present reduced total Oakland-Alameda County tax rate approximately in half.

Income Other Than Taxes -- Comprehensive Business License

Tax cuts resulted in a gross reduction of something like a Million and a Quarter Dol- lars-with a net reduction of governmental expenses very close to One Million, as has been stated. In order to meet the odd Quarter Million; therefore, the new administration

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

adopted a program of getting all possible legitimate revenue from other sources than taxes. Outstanding among such sources is the system of licensing business, a plan in operation in practically every other big city of the country. As first contemplated when making out the budget, business was to be licensed upon a gross income basis in ac- cordance with systems adopted by San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, St. Louis, Chicago and other great cities. This, however, met with such objection that an arbitrary license plan was adopted, based upon the averages of other cities. At the time of the adoption of the comprehensive business license ordinance in the early months of 1928, some Twenty Per Cent of businesses had for many years been paying toward the sup- port of government. The new plan merely extended this support to all businesses and professions, spreading the cost of government in a more equitable and just manner. It brought during the fiscal year an additional $240,000 into the treasury-result in the net saving of this fiscal year, as stated, of approximately One Million Dollars under last.

Oakland business men on the whole are convinced, as am I myself, that reduction of property tax, resulting in influx of property purchasers and new industry and home seekers, results in great benefit to the general citizenship. Shortly prior to this writing, also, the courts have upheld the city's action in this regard.

Wet Garbage

For the first time in history Oakland this year availed herself of another source of income used by practically every other city in the country; namely, the sale of wet garbage. Under the State Sanitary Laws, control of wet garbage is placed in the hands of municipalities. In accordance with this the new administration took over the wet garbage of all places producing 50 gallons or more per week, and sold the contract for its purchase, through efforts of the Commissioner of Streets, to a concern whose similar contractual relationship with neighboring cities has been of the best. In this way the city now receives a minimum income of $24,000 per year, where formerly we received nothing. At the same time the contract protects the city from such menacing accumu- lations of wet garbage as occurred during the State-wide "hoof and mouth" epidemic among cattle and hogs of a few years ago. It is pre-eminently a health measure, yet the income derived through the new measure amounts to well over a cent on the tax rate and saves the average taxpayer so much more.

Dry Garbage

In this connection a word about the present dry garbage contract, which expires December 27, 1928, is apropos. This contract exists between the City of Oakland and the Oakland Scavengers Association, the latter a partnership. It brings to the City of Oak- land a minimum monthly guarantee of $1,600, but at the same time the City must pay out, on a tonnage basis, something like $90,000 per year to the Signal Steamship Com- pany for disposal of the garbage at sea.

The so-called "garbage investigation" of last Fall clearly indicated that garbage, both wet and dry, has a value greatly under-estimated by the public at large, I therefore recommend that when the new dry garbage contract is let, and this must he some time prior to the expiration of the present agreement, this Council see to it that the City's monthly minimum income be stipulated in as large a sum as possible. At the same time the contract should be on such an adjusted scale that the City would have to pay nothing at all for disposal. It is my understanding that the present contractors, as well as others. stand ready and willing to co-operate in such manner with the City. Whoever gets the contract, however, must be fully equipped for, and placed under sufficient bond to guar- antee, the uninterrupted collection of dry garbage so that the health interests of the City cannot suffer.

Police Activities and Fines

Another addition to the city income has resulted through the doubled activities of the Oakland Police Department, under Commissioner Charles C. Young and Chief of Police Donald Marshall. Doubled enforcement of prohibition and traffic laws resulted in an income of something like $70,000 over and above last year's police income. I wish to congratulate the Police Department upon its activity, and to convey the city's appreci- ation also to the police judges, Edward J. Tyrrell and Howard Bacon, for their aid in this enforcement work. As a result our city is cleaner in the way of criminality and petty law breaking than ever before in its history, and the City Treasury greatly bene- fitted through fines paid by such law violators.

Pound

Increased enforcement of ordinances pertaining to the Oakland Pound has likewise resulted in an addition of several thousand dollars income over last fiscal year's.

City Attorney's Department

Special mention must here be made of the activities of the newly reorganized City Attorney's Department. Through the income possibilities of this department are of secondary importance, nevertheless during the fiscal year just passed it brought in to the city an unanticipated income of $25,000. This was welcome, of course, but the main

MAYOR'S MESSAGE, 1928

One of the Lakeside Park bowling greens, showing new bowling club house in background.

point is that the efficient force developed under City Attorney Preston Higgins, an ap- pointee of my own under the new administration coming in July 1, 1927, not one case has been lost, and some forty odd cases that had been before the department for many years were promptly compromised or taken into court and brought to speedy adjudi- cation to the city's gain. The new division of duties among the deputies, Alfin N. Nelson, Stanley Wood, Homer Buckley and John W. Collier, who respectively have the func- tions of Street Assessment, Public Utility, Ordinance Making, Railroad Commission Work and so on, is an excellent one and greatly facilitates municipal legal activities.

That Mr. Higgins, too, has been chosen to head the city attorneys of all Oakland Metropolitan District cities in their fight against increase of Telephone Rates, is also a matter for congratulation. The matter of public utilities will be taken up later.

One part-time addition to the City Attorney's staff 1 am glad to see has been granted by Council: namely a deputy to be appointed for a period of nine months every second year when the State Legislature meets. Such a man should be entrusted with the draw- ing of bills and the compiling of arguments therefor which the City of Oakland may wish to be introduced into Legislature, and likewise appear hefore Legislature during its ses- sion. During past times Oakland has merely sent a representative for a few days to Sacramento when something specifically affecting our interests was at stake-a city employed "Legislative Counsel," devoting all his time to such duties, will be invaluable.

City Planning

Of particular importance, and including one of the most important functions now accruing to city government, is the matter of City Planning. This year, in accordance with a new State law approved by Governor C. C. Young in June, 1927, I appointed a City Planning Commission.

This Commission is now actively engaged in formulating plans for the more efficient and esthetic development of the physical aspect of our city. It already has approved a Major Highway and Traffic Plan, which is now before the Council for study before final adoption. Sufficiently broad traffic inlets and outlets, for a city growing so fast as is our own, are of vast importance. Activities of the Street Department depend, from the stand- point of main traffic arteries, largely if not entirely upon the adoption of a Major Plan, and such a plan should be adopted as soon as study has been completed.

The Clay Street opening, the fuller development of the northern and southern cross- town arteries, the broadening of San Pablo Avenue, of College Avenue, of Twenty-second

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

Street from Broadway to the Western waterfront, relief from congestion of the Twelfth Street Dam, development of a Civic Center, all of these are before the Commission, but largely dependent upon the early adoption of such a plan as is mentioned above.

Other matters coming under initiative jurisdiction of the City Planning Commission, but dependent upon final action of the City Council, are such important questions as Zoning, Heights of Buildings, Architectural Control and Control of Subdivisions. In other words, the Planning Commission duties include the broad and comprehensive study of the demands of the city from the standpoint of its physical needs and welfare in almost every aspect of community life.

Heights of Buildings

From my own experience as Mayor of the City for nearly eighteen years I know the need of opening main highways to avoid congestion, particularly in the downtown dis- trict. And in connection with this, I would also advocate limiting the heights of future downtown buildings to a maximum of 150 feet-this will spread the business district and make individual business houses more easy of access; and would bring as a natural consequence a more facile use of downtown streets.

Automobile Parking

The automobile parking situation must also be met in this connection, and it is not unlikely that some plan will be arrived at whereby parking will be prohibited entirely in certain present business sections. Here, too, I would urge our building public to con- struct more of the permanent type of downtown automobile storage garages. One is already contemplated near the corner of San Pablo and Sixteenth Street which, I am informed, will have a capacity of nearly a thousand cars. Others should be paying propo- sitions at other centrally located points in the heart of the city.

Open parking lots I believe are not a good thing for a city. They may bring in some small income to the owner who is awaiting substantial development, but they are un- sightly and militate at once against early development and against the legitimate busi- ness interests of those who have built permanent and taxable improvements in the way of garages and auto storage honses.

It is my belief, also,that what is known as the Grand Avenue District-bounded by Grand Avenue on the south and east, Santa Clara on the north, and Orange Street and Harrison Boulevard on the west-should be thrown open to apartment house construc- tion. This close-in hill district and the downtown business section are rapidly growing together; and, with the value of the land militating against construction of private homes, the former is pre-eminently fitted for the finest apartment house district in the country. It is my belief, however, that it should be zoned piecemeal, that severe archi- tectural control of the apartment buildings should be exercised, and that setbacks should be established on all four sides of buildings constructed. In this way the Grand Avenue District can in time be a feature of efficiency and beauty beyond anything like it in the United States.

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Polk's Oakland (California) city directory, 1928, Part 3

Author: R.L. Polk & Co Publication date: 1928 Publisher: Oakland, Calif. : R.L. Polk & Co. Number of Pages: 1708

Author: R.L. Polk & Co
Publication date: 1928
Publisher: Oakland, Calif. : R.L. Polk & Co.
Number of Pages: 1708