Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-28
FREAK ADVERTISING.
Proposed Bill to Abolish It Should Be
Passed

THE proposed bill of the District Com
missioners for the suppression of the sand
wich man, and other freak alleged adver-
Using lodges upon our public streets cannot
become law too quickly to suit either the
police or the public said District official
to a Star man today.
This method of advertising is generally
conceded to be an Legitimate imposition
upon pedestrians, and is an offensive street
eyesore. If one man employs one or a dozen
other men to march up and down our
streets with wide canvas boards over their
shoulders upon which is painted in glazing
letters the merits of his particular stock of
goods or viands, every other retail dealer
in Washington has an equal privilege, and
pedestrians would be crowded off the pave
mentS into the streets to struggle as best
they might with the vehicles.
I'm London freak street advertising was
carried to such an extent that the authori-
ties finally placed limit upon it when
file of men clad in convict garb, with shaved
heads and shackled limbs, marched in
prison step upon the Strand to advertise
the thrilling situations in a blood and thun
der play at one Of the theaters of the Brit
iSh metropolis. Last winter a freak walked
up and down Pennsylvania avenue with
goose following at his heels, and the uni
versal comment of those who saw this walk
ing advertisement was that the man was
which made the careless laugh, and those
who believe in public decency regret that
there was no law by which he could be
reached and punished.
Another offensive street advertising
freak is the man who carries upon his
shoulder canvas placard nailed to pole.
This he jams against your head or your
parasol with a nonchalance as complete as
is his intrusion upon territory where he has
no right to enter. Neither should these
freaks be permitted to walk in the streets
with vehicles, nor should there be allowed
to be driven thereon the muslin or canvas
covered wagon with large letters painted
on each side, and a stout-armed boy tug
ging at rope fastened to the clapper of a
bass-voiced bell.
"These ilegitimate forms of advertising
are as Objectionable and offensive was
the old paper 'dodger' which used to be
thrust into your unwilling hands, or scat
tered over the pavements, littering and dis
figuring the streets. But they can be sup
pressed only by proper legislation. There
will otherwise always be the exception the
man who will continue to defy public opin-
ion, but who may be compelled to respect
the law. Once this class of city eyesores is
obliterated a great stride toward municipal
improvement will have been made and the
next step toward this laudable end will be
the suppression of the signboard nuisance.
The latter, however, is problem Of much
greater magnitude than the street fakir
and freak. Sooner or later the change Is
bound to come, and twill be gladly well
coined.
IF Washington is to be the leader in
cities in the respects suggested another leaf
will be added to her laurel wreath. The
signboards of this city are not quite so plen-
ttful and obnoxious as in other cities, but
there are enough here to make us all wish
there existed some legal means of putting
this grotesque form of advertising out of
business Let it be relegated. like the horse
car to New York, where suffering public
is too supine and powerless to demand and
secure redress because Of the ever ready
and all-controlling pull. "