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

+ +. Frazier. the advertising man. IL
7 which he asked the members of the
/ Outdoor Circle if they are willing to
/ be as tolerant Of billboardS as OF tele-
phone and trolley poles. and are will
! ms to cooperate towards improving
| the appearance of the billboarGs. and
/ the advertising on them and request.
I Ing them also TO give their general
attitude on the matter, the billboard
committee refused to consider any or.
! the suggestions. 49,
] Frazier sent the letter TO each mem
/ Der as he said he believed that the
circle as whole is not opposed TO
! billboards. IF the campaign OF the
Outdoor Circle against billboards IS
continued visiting artists, he salo'
will carry away a poor impression
OF Honolulu. y. -.
The circles letter, signed by Cher.
! lila l.. Lowrey, Harriet p. 1hurstons
Josephine Campbell, Katherine +.
/ Murphy, Sadie Caldwell, Alice h
| Campbell, Jennie Ashford and Ida NJ.
I Castle, said in part that there IS no
! comparison between billboards ana
poles because the latter ara a pub
| lie necessity and can be made neon
| spicuous, and answer. their purpose II
not seen at all while the former are
simply for the purpose of making mo
| new an dare obtrusive as they are
of little use If not seen.
/ In reply to the second question the
letter says, We are not willing. to
| indorse the bfllboards in any shape.
I At its best it is q garish disfiguratlon
| of the landscape, inartistic and tends
to make the city less beautiful and
attractive" -. -. ..s~ 1
! The general attitude of the circle
| is that FraZier's course is against pup
! Tic interest and for the promotion OF
personal ends only, while its course
! is in the public interest and tends to
make Honolulu better and more
beautiful place in which to live.
| Frazier Replies 49,.
In answer to the letter of the COM
| mittee Charles R. Frazier today sent
the following reply:
Honolulu, T. H., Nov. 2, 1916
1.-THE Executive Committee and the
Billboard Committee of the Outdoor
Circle. :-s.... h.
Dear Ladies': Your letter of Nov.
| 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 indivtdu-
al replies thereto, uninfluenced by any
| ideas of the billboard committee. SO
many replies already have been re-
1 ceiyed by me that | anticipate a 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 con1lden-
! TALLY. ... 80
! q was prompted to write to the in
| diyidual members of the circle be-
| cause SO many ladies have expressed
to me their disapproval of the meth
DDS employed by your billboard COM
mittee. This especially was the case
after the injury done to Mrs. A. 3. In
! gals concert >>... II.
/ 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-.
streyed like The banana trees, which
were destroyed during the yellow.
fever scare several years ago: l
should be greatly chagrined if | found
this to be the case, for have always
considered outdoor advertising highly
| respectable and useful, and have tried
to conduct it in a decent manner.
4 Now, without accepting your letter
as reply to mine, but because OF your
courtesy in writing to- me on the sub
/ jeet, am pleased to answer briefly.
Not Declared Nuisance"
"Billboards in Honolulu have never
\ yet been declared a public nuisance
by the public but only by a few peo-
pie who want to see them eliminated.
/ Let it be understood, / make no at
tack upon the poles strewn through
the city's thoroughfares; they, IKE
the billboards, have a 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 navy, by American
Society for Prevention of 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 a G5arish disfigtiration of
the landscaFe,t 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
had, they certainly would have been
treated with courtesy and to the en-