The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-06
BONDS ron BILLBoARDs.
They Are Considered by the Street
Committee.

Ordinances governing the construction
and maintaining OF bill boards occupied
the attention of the assembly committee
on streets for a couple Of hours yesterday
afternoon.
The ordinace presented by Assembly
man Nelson left the permits to be issued
for bill boards to the building inspector
and provided for blanket bond of $50, 600,
to cover all boards erected or maintained
by any one person or firm.
Another ordinance drafted by the legal
department placed the issuance of the
permits in the hands of building inspector
provided that no boards should be placed
on the sidewalk line higher than four
and half feet. Boards erected larger
than this were to be erected only after
consent of the council and after a writ
ten consent of the owner Of the property
on which the board was to be erected had
been filed. 4 bond of ST., 900 was to be filed
for each board.
L. n. Scott, representing a bill board
company and also the Metropolitan Opera
House company, objected to the provis-
ions of the Markham ordinance. No city,
he said in the country insited on any
bond being given by persons or firms put
ting up bill boards. The section which
required a bond of S., 900 for each board
would make him give bonds in the sum of
| $750,000, as he had $50 boards. The ordi-
| nance If adopted as drawn would be an
annoyance for the reason that it would
require the consent of the council for
| each board. The Metropolitan Opera
| House company was heavy taxpayers. He
| also objected to the clause requiring the
| boards to be placed ten feet from the
! sidewalk line, as many of the boards were
| now on the sidewalk line, and in many
| instances beautifed the property where
! erected. He favored the supervision of
the boards and the permits issued be left
to the building inspector.
| Theodore l.. Hays, representing Jacob
| Lift and the Grand Opera house, corrob-
| Grated the statements of Mr.. Scott, and
| said If the provision requiring the boards
! being ten feet from the sidewalk was en-
| forced, 1t would result in 100 of the
| boards which he was interested in being
| taken down. He favored the issuance of
| permits being left to the building in
| specor, and that some charge be made
| that would not require a S., coo bond for
! each board. After discussion the ordi-
nance presented by the corporation at
| torney was amended so as to give the
| building inspector exclusive charge of the
| bill boards and requiring the official to
keep a record of all permits
| The bond clause was amended so as to
| require a bond of $1,000 for each board
! when the person or firm had less than
six, but when more than five blanket
bend of $4,000 would cover all erected or
maintained.
Assemblyman Albrecht raised the point
that the requiring of a 5000 bond when
| five or less boards We're erected by a
person or firm and only $25, 900 bond for a
larger number, was class legislation. and
made the ordinance invalid The ordi-
nance as amended was referred to the
corporation attorney for an opinion as to
the point raised, and a report asked to
be submitted to the assembly this even
ing.