El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-12-20
To BRING IN
MORE MEMBERS
Chamber OF Commerce
Plans Additional Amend
ments To BYLAWS.

4 revision OF the amendments pro-
posed 20 the bylaws Of the chamber
% commerce, as submitted by the
committee on bylaws, at the regular
meeting held in the chamber Of COM
neree building Thursday night, was
decided upon. and. 10 clear the way
for the new set Of amendments, those
presented 10 this meeting we're re-
jected- Weather conditions inter-
fered with the attendance and only
small number Of members were
present.
Some important changes from those
-oristnally prepared were made in the
new draft Of amendments and these
viii he submitted to the membership
for ratification at the next regular
meeting on January o.
The first change makes the max
ing OF the budget mandatory. and
changes the word may" 10 "shall' in
me provision therefor. A commit
tee 70 be known as the dues commit
tee, the duty Of which shall be to
properly fix the amounts TO be paid
by firms. individuals and corpora
tons, 10 equalize these amounts. and
10 hear all complaints and 10 make
adjustments, is created in the pro-
posed new amendments.
The chief change. however, is a
provision for participating member
ships, which permits, and in fact in
Vites business houses Of the city to
take the highest class OF member
ship that they can possibly afford
and receive either regular or partici-
pstinE memberships for their sub
scriptions.
The latter may be. under the sub
stitute amendments, given 10 the en-
Dioyes OF those paying the money, and
only TO those in their employ. II is
mTnENnan also that for the amounts
paid monthly in each class, those pay
ing the money shall be entitled to
votes 3, IS monthly. three votes; 9,
$3.50 monthly. two votes; D. 81
monthly, one vote.
Some Explanations.
The additional voting power given I
in the new amendments shall apply
only at elections; in the regular or
tending shall have but one vote, as
safeguard against control Of the !
organization BY any individual or set |
OF individuals.
provision for participating member /
ships that IL would bring about a /
large increase in members, and def |
nitely interest many hundreds who |
are not now members and take but |
= cursory interest in the chamber,
and bring new ideas and procure ad- /
uItional workers in the interest OF 4
the chamber and OF Fl Paso.
Al e4h4AH aAAAAAlAAdA AoLE1 AlE aAAA-
tlonal sums paid. it was pointed out 4
that the ratio between class "A and 1
class D was five 10 one as TO votes,
but 20 to one as to payments.
The provision for proxies for nom /
resident members was retained in the I
new amendments, 50 as TO permit non /
resident firms which contribute TO
the chamber Of commerce TO issue /
proxies to their agents here and have 1
some voice in its affairs.
To Create More Interest.
II was the opinion Of the commit
tee and also the COMMITTEES OF the
whole that participating member
ships viii mean a large increase in
the Membership OF the chamber Of
commerce, because there are many /
belong to the chamber OF commerce
and pay the dues themselves, but, by
permitting the business houses and
firms and individuals 10 allocate their
memberships 70 their employees. II /
viii be possible 70 get a large num-
her as members, thereby definitely !
many hundreds who are
not now members and who take only
q curEory interest.
Tt must be admitted as Robert
kraksuer explained, that out OF a
OF, say. 1000. better ideas.
better thought and more work can
be had than out Of g limited member !
ship Also, there are many men who {
OF commerce because they cannot al {
ford TO belong. who will have an add ]
ed interest in the chamber and there /.
hy IN Fl Paso. and for these reasons Z
IN the firms for which they are work i
ing" ,