Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-12

Efforts in This Country Toward Their
Suppression.

Efforts in This Country Toward Their
Suppression.
simultaneously with the announcement
| that state commission after five years
work has secured control of the palisades
| of the Hudson and will preserve from
! future blasting and destruction these pic
| turesquely beautiful specimens of natures
| handiwcrk comes a statement from Lon
| don to the effect that the English society
| for the preservation of the landscape from
marring advertisements is also making some
| p ogress toward what Is now recognized as
fixed and positive abuse" said Wash
| ington landscape gardener to a Star re-
porter.
THE subject, however, is too expansive
in scope to be covered in word but there
is local phase Of it which is interesting
washington Is pleasantly and singu-
larry free from the eye-sores in the shape
of offensive and obtrusive billboards, high
fence and rock advertisement spaces. There
are some here, but not to the extent that
Is permitted in other cities. The owners
of vacant lots derive a small income from
this source. which goes toward the pay
ment of taxes as the property is unim-
proved. and by setting the boards upon
which the advertisements are pasted at an
Inverted V from the street they are rem
dered less prominent, while more space Is
obtained for the posters. Unless the ad-
vertisements were offensive in character
and against public morals it is doubtful If
boards upon private property would be
held to be constitutional.
But 1t Is in the country along the lines
Of the railroads where these boards at
tract the most attention. On a recent trip
to New York 1 counted the number Of
these big painted signs advertising all sorts
Of articles. They are placed about 100
yards from the line and on each side. the
signs averaging about 10 feet in height by
20 or 80 in length, being we'll braced to
withstand the winds and the weather.
There are comparatively few between here
and Baltimore. Passing that city they in
crease in number and are most plentiful
between PHILADELPHIA and New York.
II counted 1876 on one side OF the track
and 100 on the other between Washington
and Newark. From Newark into Jersey
City across the flats there are hundreds of
them of all heights and lengths. almost
making continuous double fence between
the two cities.
"Of course. on these flats these signs may
not be considered much Of Disagreement,
but they certainly are on the fields and In
the meadows of the country through which
the train passes between these great CEN
terS of population. AS two lines OF rail-
road parallel each other from New York
to Washington the extent of the disfigure-
ment and of the business 1t represents may
be determined when it is remembered that
about the same number of signs greet the
eye on each line.
Il also counted on over 100 house roofs,
barn roofs and the sides of the latter build
ings the conspicuous, huge letters of the
names of patent medicines. This, to my
mind, is much more offensive than the signs
in the fields, and it has ever been a mys-
terry to me why farmer for the sake of a
few dollars would allow his buildings to be
thus atrociously decorated. The farmer Is,
Of course, responsible for these landscape
eyesores. for it is in his fields they are
planted with his consent and to his slight
profit. If he said nay to the agent of the
firms which make this kind of advertising
a business they would not go up nor would
the painters block out the letters OF any
particular compound upon his barn.
1.-The abuse has developed into null
sance, but the only way I can see Of reach
ing it would be the formation of society
which had as its object the buying out
from the farmer the right to use his lands
for such purpose, razing the offending
signs at the expiration of the contracts for
their maintenance, and prohibiting the erec-
ton Of others in their stead. This would
be the only practical way, as appeals to
the farmers sense of the fitting and the
picturesque would avail little Certain it
is that general public sentiment which Is
condemnatory Of the practice has had little
If any effect thus far"