New-York tribune., 1900-12-24
THE PLAGUE OF SIGNS.

Whether or not the Constitution follows the
flag, certainly the disfguring sign painter does
According to Mr.. Arthur Reed Kimball, who
writes on 1.-The Fight Against Advertising Dis
| igurement' in "Scribner's Magazine" for JAN
| uary some of the most conspicuous marks of
American civilization in Cuba. Porto Rico, and
even the Philippines, are the ugly signboards of
manufacturers of tobacco and patent medicine
In marked and rebukng contrast to vulgar
izing commercaism is the present condition of
Hawaii, where no settler is allowed to bring
his field to the roadside, but must leave border
of natural growth, and where total dearth of
advertising signs on rocks and in conspicuous
places is enforced by law 1t would seem that
IL Hawaii, one of our Territories, able TO
enforce such law, we in going into 9stheti
cally unspoiled countries might take with us
the Hawaiian law, so far at least as to forbid
our own people to disigure the lands they
occupy
The sign nuisance, however, is by no means
exclusively American. On the coast Of Sweden
the great vertical cliffs rising out of the sea
which visitors go half way round the world to
see are being disfgured as our Palisades haye
been. London is even more disgracefully ugly
in the matter of signs than New-York, and Paris
is not far behind. The London omnibus is
covered inside and outside, and even the win
possible to see through them. Mr. Kimball
recounts some English efforts to reach the nui-
sance, which we have heretofore commented
upon. They are marked by the English habit
of dealing with a new abuse by legal fiction
and avoiding establishing new principles. Flash
light signs are suppressed on the ground that
they may scare horses and are public danger,
and sky signs have been regulated under like
pretence. The real object Of the lawmakers
in each case was aesthetic. Mr. Kimball reports
considerable progress on the Continent, particu-
larly in Berlin, where a paternal police author
ity restricts general advertising signs to spe-
cially prepared boards and forbids signs on the
outsides or windows of omnibuses. In Brussels
prizes for beautiful signs have had great inf1u-
ence in banishing the large and ugly ones,
which are found to he less attractive to Gus
toners. Some hopeful legislation is also re-
ported in American States.
For several years The Tribune has been advo-
eating tax on advertising signs which would
discourage their reckless and senseless duplica-
ton and restrict their size. Mr. Kimball asks:
why should a hideous sgnboard escape when
''the useful bank check pays its twocent tax?"
That remedy, however, does not at the present
time seem available by Federal law, though we
do not see why it might not be levied for
municipal benefit. An instrumentality nearer
at hand for Kidding rural scenery Of its ugliness
is the village improvement society. Much too,
could be accomplished in the cities by public
opinion. Here we have laws concerning signs
opposite parks which are not enforced. If the
officials could be aroused to action much might
be accomplished, and the city would appreciate
the change and demand further laws to abate
the plague Of posters. Business men at first
would be inclined to object to sign regulation
but If equally enforced nobody would suffer
from restrictions. Every advertiser would have
the same chance, and the public attention would
probably be gained the easier by fewer signs
There is no sense in the present unmeasured
plastering of the country with posters. 1t is
simply habit run wild. Each advertiser tries
10 outdo some other, and if all were restricted
they would be well off and the rest of the
world would be much better off, Success to
the advertising sign reformers, who, we are glad
TO learn, are organizing in various cities!