The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-18
BLACK EYE FOR BILL BOARDS
MEMBERS OF THE ASSEMBLY COM
MITTEE SEE THINGS IN A
NEW LIGHT
The Right of Granting Permission
to Erect Bill Boards Taken From
Building Inspector and Placed
In the Hands of the Council.

A committee of ladies from the Civic
league, headed by Mrs. Condo HamIin
caused the members of the assembly
committee on streets to turn a back SOM
ersault, figuratively speaking, yester-
day afternoon.
Two weeks ago the committee amended
the bill board ordinance so as to give the
building inspector sole charge of the is
suance Of permits and decided that the
council need not be bothered with PASSING
on the question Of where and how bill
boards should be erected.
Mrs. Hamltn urged the committee to
have the council retain control of the
bill boards on the ground that it was
much easier to prevent the erection of
boards where it required a months notice
than to order the same down after they
had been put up. If the bill board men
had to get permission from the council
before any board could be erected resi-
dents near there would be advised and
could make objections. The bill boards
did more to dirty up the city than any
thing else. Back of the bill board could
be found loads of dirty paper. In one
case the ladies had paid for the removal
Of three wagon loads in order to make it
possible to open the children's play
ground In lower town. The building in
spector had reported to the council that
but some half dozen bill boards had
been erected. She had been able to count
JOG between the power houses on Uni
versity avenue and Robert street and a
score of them on the Como interurban
line.
Bishop Gilbert also advised that the
council retain control of the boards and
not turn the matter over to the building
inspector. Prevention was better than
cure, and 1t was much better to restrain
servants of the city at the beginning than
to correct them afterward
Assemblyman Kirke raised the point
that the city could not regulate the cree
ton of boards in case they were back
from the sidewalk line such a distance
that there could be no danger to pedes-
TRANS. He had several boards removed
from the Seventh ward simply by speak
ing to the building inspector and he
thought the same could be done by other
members of the council. ]. A. Wheelock
raised the point that by preventing the
erection of bill boards in the fire limits
the bill board men might be forced to
keep them out of the residence district
and also from off the parkways.
L. N. Scott said the amendments made
at the last meeting We're at his request
He preferred the building inspector to
have charge as 1t would save the bill
board men time and money not to have
to wait until both branches of the council
held meetings in order to get permission
to put up a board. The committee by q
unanimous vote reconsidered the amend
ments made at the meeting two weeks
ago, changed the ordinance so as to
place the issuance of permits III the hands
of the council and then recommended
the ordinance for passage.
Hamline residents to the number of
forty, headed by L. J. Dobner, appeared
to urge the passage of the Hamline street
car ordinance. President Bridgman
talked in favor of the line being operated
on Smelling avenue to Langford avenue
and if this could not be done to have it
run On Capitol avenue instead Of Min
mended that the route, as provided in
the ordinance. west Of Western avenue
be recommended for passage. AS to the
route in the Eighth ward there was OBJ
lection on the part of President Vince
lock, Of the park board, who did not want
the line to turn on Como avenue at Blair
street for the reason that 1t would spoil
Como avenue as a driveway. He sug-
gested that Edmund street be selected in
stead of Blair street. This section of the
ordinance was laid over to be taken up
at an adjourned meeting of the committee
Thursday afternoon.