The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-08-28
CITY CHOOSES
RIGHT R0ADIN
CIVIC ADVANCE
E. J. Smith, American City
Bureau Field Worker, Dis
cusses Organization Plan
IMPRESSED BY BISMARCK
Predicts Steady Advance For
The City If 1t Keeps Work
ing As At Present

Declaration that Bismarck was on
the right track in her Association OF
Commerce organization, which he
said was fundamentally right, and
prediction that the city will accom-
plisK vastly more than another un-
named North Dakota sister city
which has an organization funda-
mentally wrong, was made by Earl
], Smith, representative Of the Amer
ican City Bureau, in Bismarck today
to meet directors of the A. of G.
and Secretary Bradley. Mr.. Smiths
visit is in accordance with the serv-
ice plan of the American City Blu
reau, which reorganized the Bismarck
A. of c.
Mr.. Smith, who said he was not
here to boost but to consult with and
advise A. of C. directors and men,
bers, took occasion to praise the city
"A prettier city under 10000 pop
ulation is hard to fnd," said Mr..
Smith. "You have a great deal of
paving in fine condition, the town
is clean and it looks as if the paint
brush is used regularly; the display
windows Of the retail merchants are
something to be proud Of" he said.
However" he added, II don't give
all the credit to. Bismarck. Part of
it is because of the western spirit
most western towns are clean and
progressive. 1t would be a shock to
some to 60 to the middle-west or
east and find cities poorly kept"
He also declared the city was on
the right track in undertaking q zon-
ing plan.
Cities of 10000 population now are
doing work which formerly was con-
fined to Chambers OF Commerce in
large cities, he said, naming city
planning. zoning and traffic regula-
tion as among the various projects
of the smaller cities. Smaller cities
now see more clearly than cities Of
100000 saw ten years ago the neces-
sity Of planning for future develop
ment by zoning the city, he said.
Mr.. Smith came here from Mon
tana, where he addressed the Mon
tana commercial secretaries' organ
ization and visited Butte and Mis-
soula, cities in which the Chambers
Of Commerce were organized by the
American City Bureau. He found
considerable pessimism in Montana,
he said, but asserted that the COM
mercial organizations that were do
ing the most work were those organ
lied on the same plan as the Bis
m n rob nruan ofiNnc -.
"The Chamber Of Commerce has
been found to be an indispensable or
ganization," he said. ut is much
more needed when times are bad
then when they are good. It is needed
when conditions are bad because IL
is only through cooperative effort
that they may be improved. The
same principle applies to cities that
caused the wild animals to come to-
gether in time of storms. People
must work together to achieve re-
suits" s
He said that in one North Dakota
city, unnamed, there is commercial
organisation financed by members
and the secretary does what work
lis done. Under the Bismarck plan,
he said. the !; membership itself ID
working. The members recognized
their civic duty and, their combined
energies viii produce great results.
he predicted.
w Mr.. Smith also was recently in the
south. including Baton Rouge, La.
and Charleston, 8. G. He said con-
ditions in the south are bad in some
sections, because Of six consecutive
poor years Of the cotton crop. The
cotton grower, he said, has been
harder hit than the wheat grower.