New-York tribune., 1902-03-14
WOULD STOP POSTER EVILS
MUNICIPAL ART SOCIETY PLANNING TO
REGULATE AN ABUSED PRIVILEGE.

An important meeting Of the committee on
advertising signs of the Municipal Art Society
or New-York was held yesterday afternoon at
the office OF the chairman, DIR. Milo r. Maltbie.
Other members of the committee present were
j. L. Brewer, H. K. Bush Brown. John NJ Git
terman and s c. Van Dusen. After the execu-
tive session DR.. MaItbie gave Tribune reporter
the following statement of the plans of the COM
mittee which had been discussed at the meeting:
signs; such signs are of great use and value but
we want to minimize the evils growing out of ad-
the result of deliberate intention on the part of
the business men themselves nor OF the advertising
companies; but there is herce competition 10 roach
me eye Of the public. One man begins with small
sign sign ana ana the next man follows with larger sign,
until hiboards reach ten and fifteen feet in height
a6vsr,f fannot expect much improvement from the
necessary for the public to step in and limit and
body is going to object. We don't intend 10 go any
faster than public opinion demands; but there are
a few things so bad that people demand some rem
edy which the society will try to evolve. Probably
at G De 'n'se or i0ur lines OF activity taken up
One thing is the question of advertising signs
tween the Rapid Transit Commission and Mr.. Nc
the subway company can erect any signs it wishes
70 IN the subway. There are only two restrictions.
the free and complete of the subway. which
pany; The other is that such use shall not be made
OF OF aIoVe3[tsements as 10 prevent passenger from
t on the G G3rs, That is not much Of restriction.
elmer Ihey might plaster the insides of the cars
Hl pXer win advertisements as there IS practically
nothing to prevent it, and use the entrances and
tons, and still violate the contract thus virtu-
any making the entire subway continuous bill
.. What the committee will probably do is 10 make
II point that when the contract between the Rapid
Transit Commission and the private company FOR
the construction of the Brooklyn subway drafted
be kept in the hands of the Rapid Transit Commits
shall be excluded but that when public Sentiment
demands either that the use of posters shall be re-
city will have the authority 10 Under the
PTesehd contract IN Manhattan nothing can be done
committee holds that the city should never
give away for such long period of time such
an important power from the point OF view of the
neTnutlhcation Ti OF the city.
tne hegnt OF Dlll6oards which are very difficult to
the private holder There has been ecisS9 o
the Gourt or Appeals upnoldng the right of city
height was limited to seven feet. In Chicago it
sti bfope tb ITe ana while the ordinance is
that the city acted within its powers That will
with some of the evils Of the bboaTds, as thew TSy
VIII be smaller and the other is that everything
which restricts their size makes it necessary for
the adXertiser TO resort to other means than size
The proba bility is that the same course will be
iolIowed here as in other cities Where the signs
In streetcars the size of the posters is limited by
+ the SIZE OF n the space over the windows The re
To reach the results indicated the committee pro-
tons enforced by the Beparmens Of n9
under the different Borough Presidents,
| The committee has been informed that the a.
waited railway company has right 10 its sta
tlonS as billboards. the powers granted it in
its charter and subsequent legislation do not give
this right II Is, consequently, acting ultra wires.
! and can be compelled 10 these signs The
| committee does not intend 10 take extreme
/ course. A certain amount of advertising the
elevated stations will be objected to- but it has
gone so far that the stations only nartistc.
| but positively ugly account of the diScordant
colors of many of the signs. 1t is almost impos-
sible to ascertain what station is because of the
encroachment of the posters. The number of post
| ers should be restricted and greatly reduced.
Then there IS the question Of the parks Around
| Union and Madison Square parks large signs have
| been erected brilliant in color by day and illum-
| mated at night brilliantly that you cannot
cape them. one cannot enjoy the parks on account
or them, and the pleasure for which the parks were
| constructed is reduced. owing the torment of
! these signs II is a hard question how reach
/ them, but certainly something should be done to
/ prevent their construction.