The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-28
FIX BILL BOARDS.
City Council Plans Thorough
System OF Regulation.
Only Metal Ones May Be Erected
i'm Topeka.
RAISED FROM GROUND
Must Be at Least Four Feet
From Surface.
No Immoral Posters Will Be
Permitted.

The fiimsy. unsanitary, ugly bill
boards in Topeka must go. The city
council will say so in few weeks and
at a meeting Of the special committee
for this purpose to be held in a few
, days the fate and the laws governing
the building, maintaining and adver-
Using of sign boards will be decided
upon.
This proposition received its first
impetus one year ago this month when
Councilman H. B. Howard introduced
resolution asking that an ordinance
governing the sign board be drawn up.
1t would have cost the city about seven
dollars and it lost. A few weeks ago
such well 6nown men as Charles M.
Sheldon and other ministers in Topeka
declared open war against the adver-
Using matter on sign boards.
The last move gave Councilman
Howard renewed energy and he now
has before his police committee in the
city council number of valuable
pointers for the abolition and the con-
troll of the sign boards in this city. 1t
is with municipal pride that the mayor
and city councilmen fall behind Mr..
Howard in his war against the bill
| board and it is but question of mid
council-meeting-t when the ordi-
nance will become law insthis city.
There are three heads under which
the new ordinance will be drawn The
control of the bill boards in Topeka
include the (1) construction. the CD
location and the CD advertising mat
ter. These three heads have been di-
vided into convenient subheads that
will include every Objectionable fea-
ture to the sign board trouble in To-
peka.
No Frame Bill Boards.
Within fire
limits the boards will have to be built
of a metal-no wood will be allowed
It has been found that the old style
frame boards are a menace to sur
cigarette and cigar stubs, etc. A fire
can take hold behind a snugly built
frame board and get under good head
way before discovered. Therefore, II
is necessary that the boards be built OF
metal.
The elevation of the signs is another
problem that must be settled by the
city The old low built structures
gathered papers, straw, weeds ana
trash of all kinds. This is not only
point but from a sanitary view. The
trash and refuse that collects behind
the average bill board is a disgrace.
The new ordinance Will require that
the new boards be built four feet from
the ground.
immoral conduct. drinking and gam
bling, is induced by the shadows of the
secluded board. Numerous complaints
have been registered during the sum-
mer of screaming girls, hilarious
women and drunken men-all VINO
have found the bill board a good shell
ter ct have heard this myself" said
Councilman Miller this afternoon.
(2) Location-It has been decided
by the city councilmen through the ex-
pert opinion of Councilman Howard
who has made study of the conditions
in other cities, that the location of the
bill boards in the city will be regu-
lated in such a manner that a large
number of the Objectionable features
will be eliminated. The city Will see
that the boards are only allowed IN
such places as will not hinder the light
and the ventilation to adjacent build
ings and property. 1t has been Gus
tomary to build the board to shut off
the light. the breeze and the ventlia-
ton from SURF ounding buildings. The
city will govern this in the future.
Chorus Girls Must Go.
(31 Advertising Matter-The post
ing of alleged "obscene and immoral
pictures" on the bill boards has
aroused considerable indignation in
Topeka This will be an important
point in the new ordinance of regula-
ton. The city law will state that all
Objectionable, obsence and immoral
pictures must be kept from the To-
peka bill Doal DIS.
There is a question of course. just
what is meant by immoral pictures and