Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1914-07-16
INE BLUFF ROGRESS
 ROsPERITY
THE AMARILLO PLAN.

] The city of Amarillo in the Texas, nanhandle has the distinction or evolving something new under tue sun in the way of city government and mIanagement. This is real dls- tinction, particularly ia view or the fact that "the Amarillo pian' sounds feasible. There are scores and per haps hundreds of different modiflca- liens of the commission form of gov ernment, all of them seeking to get the control of municipal affairs as far as possible away from politics. The Amarillo plan takes some Of the 6est of the ideas and adds a new sug- gestioa or two. The Dallas Journal thus describes the Amarillo idea:
 To Amarillo, Texas, falls the dis tinctive honor of being the first city in the United States to put into ei- feet a plan wAich, if generally adopt- ed, means the passing ef chambers CT commerce, as now organized, malh~ tained and operated in American mu- D. Y been made in the press of the state to the Amarillo charter which pro yides for municipal government under the city manager plan But little has been said with regard to this other important provision, whlc Il puts the young Western city on me map as the pioneer iE progressive ism. This provision is for the crea- tioa of board of city extension. which is, in fact. re-chris'eaea chamber of commerce incorporated with the city government, which is to be maintained by pro rated expense, through levying of specia! tax, bot to exceed two mills on the hundred dollars valuation. The justice of this plan must be immeoiate,y obvl- ous. As rule, chambers of com merce, commercial clucs and similar organizations are malata'ned at the expense of a few progressive citizens who are willing to give time and money to the work of upDullding of their respective cities. Maay who should aid, and are able 10 do so, shirk their duty. The burden falls on
  through city development. Under the Amarillo plan the cost oi opera tion will be justly distributed, every property holding citizen paying in proportion to his holdings. As le- suit of this method, tho continuous campaign for more funds foc the maintenance of the chamber of com merce will be made unnecessary. Tht secretary of the extension board who will work in connection with non-salaried commissioners will kaoW months in advance just aow mucf money will be available for his work and plans may be outliaei accord ingly and carried to consnDlmatioa The time heretofore given to money raising may be devoted to the req work of city building. Amarillo is just ol the eve of putting Ghis piar into practical operation. There wil be nothing experimental about it The first years achieve1l ent under the new plan should be notabfe. ant if it fulfills expectations, the city de yelopment board plan will be adopted by other cities. President Howiant of the national bureau of municipa research recently commended tit plan in a letter to Mayor Beasley O Amarillo, saying:
 "You are certainly to be con gratulated for taking the most prac tical and advanced step of any cis, in America. Theories have aivanc ed this idea, but no city has cyel put it into practice, and you T thu first one should go down in histo.! just as prominently as the man wht invented the commission form o government"
 Amarillo has reason to feel prout cf her pioneering. To be the "!irs city of American" to put into etfec any worthy innovation is no smal distinction. And this young westerl cfty has set a practical prcesden which cities of many times her sizt