TEXAS PLANNING BOARD. The Texas Planning Board, established by the Forty-fourth Texas Legislature in 1935, expired on March 16, 1939. It consisted of the state highway engineer, the chairman of the board of water engineers, the secretary of state, and six other members appointed by the governor-three for two years and three for four years. The objectives of the board were to secure federal aid, especially for relief purposes, and to explore the state's resources with a view to recommending suitable programs for their best use and conservation. The board was without power to effectuate any program, being restricted by statute to advisory functions. It operated through ten committees and a supervised staff. The board gathered data and made numerous recommendations dealing with such matters as public health; forest, mineral, and water resources; agricultural potential; transportation facilities; and the promotion of the civic, industrial, and commercial interests of Texas. Not least among its accomplishments was the stimulation of local planning and the organization of numerous local planning boards.
