The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-02-06
UNITE AGAINST
BILL BOARDS
Salt Lake Woman's Club and Manu-
facturers and Merchants Join
in Fight.

Aided by Salt Lake club women the
business interests of this city, as
represented by the Manufacturers and
Merchants association, have arisen
agaist the billboard evil. This after
noon the Salt Lake WOman's cluo VIII
hold a meeting at which the general
tonic will be What Women Can Do
Toward Making a Greater and More
Beautiful Salt Lake" Tonight the
Manufacturers and Merchants assoc1-
alton will hold a meeting to discuss
a remedy for the fake advertising
schemes by which local tradesmen
have been separated from many dol
lars. From a statement made yester-
day by President o. H. Hewlett er-
garding what he termed "desecra-
ton Of the city" it is not improbable
that the billboard matter will be for
mally brought I'D.
The women's fight against bill
boards is based primarily on the fact
that this means of adveI Using is I'M
slightly. that it hinders the beautlt1ca-
ton of surrounding property and de-
tracts from whatever effect may
have been obtained from improve
ments already made The fight made
by the business interests is based on
business principles. AS noted by Mr..
appreciable revenue at present from
the billboard signs which plentifully
blot the business and residence dis
trict; there is proof that unsightIy
billboards lower adjacent property val
ues; they are the cause of increased
fire insurance rates; they are menace
especially where elevated, to life and
property in case of severe windstorms.
M. G. M. A. With Women.
President Hewlett of the NJ. and NJ.
A, speaking on the subject yesterday,
expressed his views in vigorous Ian
guage.
"I am glad to hear that the Salt
Lake Woman's club intends to take
up the billboard evil said Mr.. Hew-
lett Should they at their Tuesday
afternoon meeting take some means
of expressing public disapproval of
this scheme of advertising they may
be sure the merchants and manufac-
turers of Salt Lake will be with them.
I, myself, know Of one instance where
a billboard yielding the owner of the
property few dollars a year, has de-
creased the selling value of his neigh
boris house several hundred dollars.
The man whose property is injured
wants to SELL and he will probably
have to take less for this reason.
There are similar cases by the score.
This is considering its effect in the
residence district alone. When one
comes to the business district he will
find the same evil present in a multi
piled form. See what a f1imsy bill
board will do toward jumping up fire
insurance rates. That's one practical
proof of their harm. See what it will
do where it cuts off light or is an i'm
pediment 20 easy exit.
Beginning with a few small signs
scattered irregularly about the city
the practice Of sticking up boards has
grown until one can neither look to
the right nor left nor skyward with
out being urged to do this or that or
see such and such
This fight has been made and made
successfully in other cities. The east
long ago had to face the problem. It
has been only a few years since San
Francisco found ii necessary to place
restrictions on 'billboarders.'
Good Place for HoIdups.
"BilIboards make about as convent
ent a location for holdups as the lat
ter gentry could desire, as recent
Continued on Page 2.