Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-11-02
BILLBOARD war
RUMBLES HEARD
IN TNOLETTERS
Outdoor Circle and Charles R.
Frazier Exchange Letters
Through Newspapers

. "
Outdoor Circle ii they are willing TO
be as tolerant of billboards as OF teie-
i phone and trolley poles. and are will
ing to cooperate towards improving
the appearance of the billboards and
the advertising on them and request
ing them also to give their general
attitude on the matter, the billboard
committee refused to consider any or
/ the suggestions:
/ Frazier sent the letter to each mem
Der as he said he believed that the
circle as whole is not opposed to
bllhoartls IF the campaign OF the
Outdoor Circle against bilIboards rs
continued visiting artists" he said,
will carry away poor impression
| OF Honolulu"
The circles letter, signed by Cher.
| lila l.. Lowrey, Harriet p. Thurston.
Josephine Campbell, Katherine +.
Murphy, Sadie Caldwell. Alice *.
/ Campbell, Jennie Ashford and Ida Nj.
Ecastle, said in part that there is no
comparison between billboards and
pCles because the latter are a pub
t:IiC necessity and can be made incon-
spicuous, and answer their purpose II
not seen at all while the former are
simply for the purpose of making mo-
ney an dare obtrusive as they are
OF little use If not seen.
In reply to the second question the
letter says, I'VE are not willing to
indorse the billboards in any shape.
At its best it is garish designation
of the landscape, inartistic and tends
TO make the city less beautiful and
attractive"
The general attitude of the circle
is that Frazier's course is against pub
lie interest and for the promotion OF
personal ends only, while its course
is in the public interest and tends to
make Honolulu a better and more
beautiful place in which. to live.
Frazier Replies
In answer to the letter of the COM
mittee Charles r. Frazier today sent
the following reply:
Honolulu; T. H., Nov. 2, 1916.
THE Executive Committee and the
Billboard Committee of the Outdoor
Circle.
Dear Ladies': Your letter of Nov.
1 duly received. | think this is the
first letter | have ever had the honor
to receive from the Outdoor Circle
and am greatly interested in its con-
tents.
my letter, which yours assumes
to answer was, of course, addressed to
individual members OF the Outdoor
Circle and | expect to receive indiyidu-
al replies thereto, uninfluenced by any
ideas of the billboard committee. So
many replies already have been re-
ceived by me that anticipate very
large response again assure all
members who are fair enough to write
to ME on this subject that their names
will be treated absolutely confiden'
tally.
81 was prompted to write to the in
dividual members of the circle be-
cause SO many ladies have expressed
to ME their disapproyal of the meth
DDS employed by your billboard COM
mittee. This especially was the case
after the injury done to Mrs A. B. In
gals concert.
81 would like very much to know
whether our better-class citizens con-
slider my outdoor advertising business
SO highly obnoxious that it must needs
be boycotted, or uprooted and de-
stroyed like he banana trees, which
were destroyed during the yellow
fever scare several years ago.
should be greatly chagrined II found
this to be the case. for have always
considered oytdapr advertising highly
respectable and useful, and have tried
to conduct 1t in decent manner.
Now, without accepting your letter
as a reply to mine, but because OF -EeHr
courtesy in writing to me\ on the sub
ject, am pleased to answer briefly.
Not Declared Nuisance"
"Billboards in Honolulu have never
yet been declared a public nuisance
by the public out only by few peo-
pie who want to see them eliminated.
Let it be understood, | make no at
tack upon the poles strewn through
the cfty's thoroughfares; they, like
the billboards, have specific public
utility value. At the same time they
are for private profit, equally with
billboards. / have never been informed
that it was wrong to make money so
long as it is made honestly.
AS a public utility the billboard S
merit stands uneuestioned by the gen.
eral public 1t is employed by the
United States government in recruit
ing the army and nayy,-by American
Society for Prevention 8 tuberculosis
and by political candidates in most
parts of the United States who seek
election to public office. 1t played an
enviable, virtually indispensable part
in Great Britain's recruiting campaign
in the present war. So much for its
practical value
Il do not agree that in Honolulu the |
billboard is 'sarish disfiguration of
the LANDSCAPE and assert, moreover,
that always have responded cordially |
to reasonable objections by individu- |
ais or organizations who have not
wanted them In certain localities. But
never have received any such re-
quests from the Outdoor Circle. II
l had, they certainly would have been |
treated with courtesy and to the en-
tire cafjofo nfiov Of oil foirp1;ndod |