Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 February 1918 — Home Town Helps [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Home Town Helps

EVERY YARD TO HAVE GARDEN Writer Urges Importance of Move-) ment, to Be Impressed on All Members of the Community. < One of the flrst necessities, says Dr. John H. Finley in a recent paper on gardening, is to arouse Interest in the work among the young people of the community, but fully as important a« this Is securing the cooperation of the parents. It is quite necessary for the entire success of this movement that the older people not only realize the importance of increased production during the coming year, but that they also take an active part in the production. It is especially important that only good seeds and good plants be used. Therefore, those who are in charge of this work should see to It that those having gardens be referred only to reliable firms for seeds. In order that lack of capital may be no handicap to those desiring to take up the work, there should be provided and administered a loan fund for those who need assistance in buying manure, hiring vacant lots or large garden plots, and in paying for plowing; and harrowing same. Now Is the time to deal with next winter’s disturbances; high cost of living, boycots and embargoes. A national preparedness for war demands that immediate steps be taken by every individual to do his share in the production movement. “A garden in every yard” should be our slogan. ADOPT CITY-MANAGER PLAN Twelve Cities of Texas Have Proclaimed Allegiance to That Form of Civic Government. • Of the 81 cities in the United States that have adopted the city manager plan, or some modification of it, Texas leads with 12 cities. Texas was the father of the commission form of government idea, and seems destined also to lead in the movement to adopt the-city-manager plan. The following Texas cities have adopted the plan outright: Amarillo, Brownsville, Denton, San Angeld, Taylor, Tyler, Bryan, Sherman and Yoakum. Brownwood, Teague and Terrell have adopted modified forms of the city-manager plan. Salaries are paid Texas city managers ranging from $1,200 to $3,000 per year. Salaries outside of Texan for the same work run much higher. For example, the city manager of San Diego, Cal., receives $6,000 per year; of San Jose, Cal., $5,000, and of Dryton, 0., $12,500. u A recent bulletin Issued by the bureau of municipal research and reference of the University of Texas contains information about the spread of the city manager idea, as well as a discussion of its development out of the commission form of government, with a clear exposition of what the plan really is. In addition, a complete bibliography of articles that have been written on this new way of governing American cities |s given. Free copies may be had by addressing Dr. H. G. James, bureau of municipal research and reference, University of Texas, Austin, Texas.