The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-26
BILL BOARD STAYS !
People. Of Washington Seem to Have
Had All Their. Trouble,
for Nothing.
No Opposition Is Found on the Part
of the People Who Live Near. s
the "Nuisances."

r'ren Tns 5ssrns. s,1 n>.re~~, E.e.'. Is. re..
Washington, Nov 26.-Let it be hoped
for the sake of the newly-created art
commission of Minneapolis, that it's expe-
rtences in "disciplining'' the gaudy and
pestiferous bill boards will meet with
greater success than has attended q SINH
lar worthy movement In this city. For
many years Washington has been plagued
with the bill boards, and finally, on the
assumption that the better people Of the
town did not want them and would stand
back of any reasonable effort to get rid Of
them certain well-meaning and public
spirited citizens went to work and secured
the passagcAby congress Of a law which
placed these boards under the jurisdiction
Of the board of commissioners of the Dis
trict of Columbia, a body which is to
Washington what the mayor, common
council and other city officers combined
are to Minneapolis. The new law went
into effect on the first of the current
month. and already it is evident that the
number of bill boards will not be mate
rally reduced, nor the character Of their
announcements toned down. ,.,.-... -.
/ The new law authorizes the district
commissioners to issue permits for the
posting of theatrical advertisements and
other advertising displays only after a
ma jority of the residents OH the same side
of the square and on the confronting side
have given their several consents in writ
! ing, saying that they do not object to
these garish displays near their homes.
It was expected that the enforcement of
the law would practically wipe out all bill
boards in the residence sections of the
city. The bill-posting company which has
a full monopoly IN the city, as Is the case
also in Minneapolis, expected that it
would have trouble in securing the sigma
lures of residents agreeing to the display
- Hi
ments. especially those representing scan
tily attired female figures on theatrical
posters. Accordingly, the company sought
to break down the law by bringing q suit
to test its constitutionality. The decision
has been handed down, and >upholds the
law: There will be no appeal. # 49,: -
Contrary to the very general" expecta-
tior,, and much to the dismay Of the good
people who had been back Of the crusade
against bill boards which resulted in the
passage Of the new law, house-to-house
canvass in the vicinity OF the bill boards
developed practically no opposition to the
continuance of the alleged nuisance. -
In all but d beggar1y two or three in
stances the bill posters have been able to
file with the district commissioners the
signatures of majority of the interested
residents and property owners. This has
constituted full compliance with the
law, and the bill boards will remain in
Washington. AS a matter of precaution,
the POLICE departments 50 strong. was the
belief that the general public wanted the
boards abolished, verified the signatures,
spending almost two weeks in that work.
The district commissioners and the peo-
pie who were at the head of the move
ment which resulted in the passage of the
new law are greatly surprised. From let
tiers and interviews with citizens in the
past, and from news articles and edito-
rails in the daily press,%it had been as
sumed that opposition TO bill boards was
widespread and deep seated. ~"
1t is. to be hoped that the Minneapolis
crusaders, are not to go up against con-
they get ready to take UP the cudgels in
that city. -: ',.."