| Show millionaire mayor crusades gives amarillo low rates rate 8 AMARILLO texas par far from satisfied despite the fact that he has effected a saving of 1000 annually for amarillo citizens through the medium of 0 reduced taxes and lowered utility rates colonel ernest 0 thompson 39 year old millionaire mayor today prepared to continue his fight to ease tiro the burdens of his people taking office three years ago thompson who worked his way through school and rose steadily to become one of the states wealthiest men has haa brought about reductions of his cites taxes water electricity and gas rates now he is engaged in a determined fight for lower telephone rates this tight fight he begun by order ing ng telephone service discontinued at his two large hotels here and all but the police phones taken from the city hall lie ile urged others to join the boycott and the response was such that the company agreed to appraise its properties and discuss a new franchise on february 9 thompson and his city commissioners will meet with ith officials to consider the com pany banys 1 a proposal it if it Is factory and it will be unless it represents a sharp rate out cut the boycott will be renewed thompson indicated today utility rates he believes believe have not been reduced in proportion ion to other prices experience proves he says that public service can be sold at lowered rates and still earn a reasonable profit when he entered office thomp sons first attack was on water rates when the battle end ended ad the system had been placed under municipal control and the rate cut from 50 to 27 cents a thousand gallons citizens were saved 95 annually then the mayor turned his attention to electricity rates the rate of 9 cents a kallowat hour was reduced to 7 cents amarillo has the lowest rate of any city of its size in the nation and citizens are saving a year gas rates came under his bis ax another annually was saved property waa reassessed and the taxes slashed 26 per cent saving still another a year E expenses x ot of the city government in street maintenance and garbage disposal were reduced by another upon his own experience Is based his hi s fight to aree the common people of 0 their tax and utility burden at 11 he sold papers on amarillo streets later he worked his way through higbe school virginia g 1 nia 1 military institute an eastern accounting school and the university ot of texas law school at 25 he be waa one of the youngest lieutenant colonels in the world war his wife Is the former may alay peterson opera pama donna donaa they were married in 1925 after a romantic courtship on the battlefield tle field of waterloo while thompson was a delegate to the veterans congress at brussels |
