Omaha daily bee., 1908-04-13
DOWN WITH THE BILLBoARDS
CSmmunities AssaiI the Evil in Vari-
ous Ways ana Make some
Progress,

Poster maids in Newark. N. j., must
have at least a normal sense Of modesty
and decency. And their companions OF the
biilboards, the heroes" who slsy the vii
iains" while the ''heroines" faint, must
quit It.
This is the decree OF common council.
which has appointed a committee of three
aldermen to act as censors of the morals
OF the posters and billboards. Thus far the
committees work has been limited to pass
ing upon theater advertising. but its scope
will be extended to cover all billboard
advertising as well as that displayed in
saloons and other windows.
with the promised support Of Mayor
Tom johnson. the Chamber of Commerce,
which is affiliated with the American
Civic association, has inaugnrated vigor-
Gus campaign against the billboard In
Cleveland. Like many other cities. Cleve-
land Is being sacrificed 20 the billboard
advertiser.
Appeal will be made by the Chamber Of
Commences special committee of twenty
one. which is to include prominent busi-
ness men, to the billboard concerns. II
this fails property owners will be requested
not to allow their property TO be used.
posed.
Regulation of billboards and the obtain
ing Of revenues are the objects Of two
bills prepared by Supervisor Murphy in
San Francisco. While the ordinances are
designed primarily to insure safety, Super
visor Murphy calculates that enforcement
OF taxation will net the city between $1,000
and $4,000 a year.
This estimate OF receipts is based upon
the extensive display of billboards in the
burned portion Of the city and the outlying
districts.
After an experiment in billboard adver-
tising which continued for five or six years,
the American Tobacco company has re-
turned to newspaper advertising. This
company, which devoted most of It's bill
board space to advertising certain smok-
ing tobaccos, spent 81, ,250,0O0 a year upon
the blllboards, which amount will be spent
hereafter in newspapers and magazines.
As result of the ordinance imposing
tax upon billboards, the city of Los
Angeles received S2.s9311 for the last year
from one advertising concern. Billboards
promoters are required to file quarterly
statements of the amount of space In use,
and the city also has an inspector to see
that the provisions are obeyed.
In the fight against the obnxiOus bill
board in the home. section of Tacoma,
the North End Improvement club has won.
As result the local billposting company
has declared its. willingness to accept
the clubs proposition. which includes the
removal Of all such boards north OF
Division avenue. which is the residential
section, and also an agreement to erect
no new boards
That the citizens of Salt Lake City should
act to abolish the billboards was the
opinion given by Orson Hewlett, vice presi-
dent Of the Salt Lake Improvement league,
which is affiliated with the American Civic
association. Mr.. Hewlett referred to two
billboards that had been erected opposite
two handsome church edifices. compelling
worshipers to submit to- an interruption OF
their thought by ugly signs proclaimins the
merits of certain brands of beer, whisky
and corsets.
Mr.. Hewlett declared that the billboards
of the city afford q hiding place for the
practice of other .nuisanoes, and that
at night they give an advantage to crimi-
nails, especially in the outlying portions OF
the city. He advocated taxation and sug-
gested that. at most. the signs. ought to be
limited to the business district.