The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-08-02
WAR UPON
B|LLB0AROS
Acting Gov. Atkinson Is
Enlisted for the
Campaign.

War has been declared upon the
large and offensive billboard by Act
J ing Governor Atkinson And, as h,
will have the backing in this of al
lovers of the beautiful, both in nature
and art it will be war that will win
THE beauty of these islands is the
choicest possession that We have" SAID
Mr.. Atkinson, speaking of the matter
yesterday. Mature has been mos,
bountiful to Hawaii, in this regard
And it devolves upon us to save this
heritage, to enjoy it ourselves and to
preserve it for posterity. 1 have been
offended by these unsightly signs that
have made their appearance in various
parts of the town, breaking out like
the ugly blotches of some villainous
humor of the lands blood, and there
have been others offended In fact to
my knowledge a number of we'll known
ladies in town have given orders to
their grocers that none of the products
so extensively advertised shall be de-
| livered to them.''
1t is the right idea, too, because
these advertisers are out for the money
that the sale of the products adver-
tised brings them, and they will be the
first to order the offensive signs re-
moved if they find their pockets at
tackled. The particular billboard that
has enabled the governor to reach this
evil is one that is being put up at the
corner of King and Kapiolani streets,
fronting Thomas square. This bill
board is being built for Chas. Frazier,
who owns all the billboards in town,
| by the way, and is upon land to which
| lani street frontage of the block be-
tween Young and King streets is sup
posed to belong to Magoon, Lightfoot.
kellett and others. However, there is
also a government claim to the land,
and it is because of this claim that
| the governor has been enabled to
| reach this particular billboard.
THAT is a part of what is known as
grant 81" said the Acting Governor
tation with Land Commissioner Pratt
! about it. 1t is part of the old Hud-
son Bay grant. The courts have decid-
ed that all grants not proved up shall
lapse to the government. and in this
particular instance the grant line runs
ten feet back on Young street from
Kapiolani, thence diagonally across
| the lots until it strikes King street,
| when the point is about thirty-seven
feet, 1 believe. back from the junction
of King and Kapiolani streets.
Now, it is not the policy of the
government to disturb land titles. but
SO sure as that billboard is not torn
| down, I will take possession of that
strip on the part of the territory. 1t
will make "a very pretty little park.
And / shall so notify Mr.. Frazier, and
the men who think that they own that
property. 1t will be a hardship to
take their frontage from them, but it
is public hardship to have the street
disfgured by unsightly billboards."
The Acting Governor did send for
Mr.. Frazier. too. and there was an ex
tended conference over the matter. At
its conclusion the governor made this
statement: Mr.. Frazier has shown
disposition to meet any reasonable
proposition upon the matter. He tells
me that he will have a consultation
with Mr.. Magoon, in order to see what
can be done.''
Il am the owner of all the billboards
in this town. said Mr.. Frazier, after
he had had his talk with the governor
'Nobodytwould rSjoice more to see them |
all taken away than 1 would. 1 am a |
member of the Bill Posters Associa- |
tion and 1 have done more to keep |
out of this town than any |
other man in it. But. if 1 did not put |
up the billboards. somebody else
they would be more often
sive than mine"
Which is an oblique form of justif-
cation capable of several widely di-
verse interpretations. However. the
governor was more earliest III Ills ueC
arations against big billboards and Of
'ensive signs after his conference with |
Mr.. Frazier than he had been before.
One, in particular, particularly |
atrocious one, that disffgures an other
wise surprisingly beautiful landscape
out Waikiki way, came in for unspar-
ing condemnation. and it is more than
likely that some steps will be taken in !
the near future to have this one re-
moved.
BY the way. the Civic Federation
talked of taking up this billboard evil
some time ago. but nothing seems to
have come Of it so far. 1t is most
gratifying however. to know that the
women are interesting themselves &C
lively in the matter.