El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-04-15
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAS
PROVED ITSELF; HAVE YOU'D

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE members are engaged in then
y big spring DIVE This year 1t consists not so much N
obtaining new members IN endeavorng to equaze the
shares OF existing members meeting the annual budget
Call It dues call It donation call It investment as you
please If makes little difference. for you know two things;
you know the chamber OF commerce Work must 60 on IN
big way, and you know you VII never be SATISFIED with
yourself unless you pay your share
What IS your share? You may say that is for you to
decide But long precedent FL Paso is against you; Fl
Pasos modern progress begins with the time when punhc
enterprises began to demand support and ceased socng
aims; when they began to assess property owners and
business and professional men and insist on some Iaona
proportion between mans contributions to public under
takings and his benefits direct OF indirect
The chamber Of commerce last year spent nearly 80
times what It spent in 1907 five times what It spent In
1872 two and half times what it spent IN 1918.
In 1918 thsNehamber had 242 members in 1919 1900
members and It has 1900 members These are organ
lied in "a departments Of work Everybody has chance
to become engaged IN congenal work within the chamber
1t the intention that every member shall be assigned
TO department OF committee. If any man IS eIt out
it is his fault There is work for everybody there IS
need for everybody.
There is no more active OF successful community organ
ization the United States than the FL PasO chamber Of
It is attracting notice all the country and
being taken model In other cities The FL Paso
organization has succeeded N bringing INTO cooperation
with the original commercial organization the principal COM
munity that had been carried Independently
and the chamber Of has departments for
agriculture the automove trades city planning and gov
erumenal research, the music association symphony OF
chestra) publication government relations washington
bureau) industrial relations junior chamber Of commerce.
jobbes, manufacturers retail merchants service, traffic
and transportation tourists conventions and publicity
highways, farm bureau, irrigation and power
Intense and successful work in these departments cost
s1o5o00 last year. and $4,000 is needed this year To
the budget it is necessary to increase dues Of some
and corporations and Of business and professional
who have heretofore been carrying their proportion Of
the expenses. In arriving at Just figure the directors
have taken basis oneha percent Of value Of property
business; this figure has been adjusted by reference to
known conditions Of business orncome. An minimum m
dividual memberships are increased
The plan is reasonable and while there is intention
TO force any member to pay the amount assessed the
their program VIII be best expressed by generally con-
tent adherence to the figures they have made impara
with thought except the good of al and equitable
distribution Of the cost Of this tremendous community
enterprise
The work Of the chamber Of commerce touches every
citizen and benefits every citizen It IS for everything that
for the public good, and II IS against everything and
everybody that makes for deterioration loss disorder OK
discomfort Il is tremendous power in the community:
the union Of 1900 Makers Of FL Pas0 to make FL Pas0
greater and better Its program whole and IN detail
to which every citizen subscribe and which
every citizen who believes IN FL PasO must be wiling to
sustain
The report Of the manager and directors department
chaien the budget makes inspiring reading anyone
capable Of graspiug community problems broadly. The
present powerful and efficient chamber Of is the
result Of 20 years evolution; # could not have earlier
than II did for the community not ready. Yet the plan
had often been proposed In due time It accepted, and
nobody would 90 back 70 the old form What diff
would have made often IN the past IN working
ont great plans, If had had such magnificent machine
to work with It's power directed toward right and pro-
gressve ends for the common welfare is without limit It