Omaha daily bee., 1919-06-26
Bill Boards on DoaUn Grade
From the Philadelphia Ledger.

Marked advances in the fight to eradcat.
the billboard nuisance are recorded by the bull
etn of the American Civic association just is
sued
The supreme court of the United States ha:
very recently held that "a city, exercising the
police power, may prohibit the erection of bill,
boards in residence districts, in the interest Of
community" In addition, the federal govern.
| ment established standard by prohibiting bill.
J boards in the Louisville cantonment
The inherent evils of biboards are shown
by quotations from number of decisions Of
supreme courts, which point out that billboards
are constant menaces to the public welfare and
safety of cities; they endanger the public health
they obstruct the light, sunshine and air; they
enable the spread of fires; they promote i'm
morality and they constitute hiding places and
retreats for criminals and all classes of miscre-
ants. An inspector reported of sign in New
cans, stones, dirt, a dead dog and paper and
rubbish. In the rear evidences exist that the
place is being used for public toilet. The odor
is sickening."
A definite advance has been scored in Mas
sachusetts, where in November of I9lS the fol-
adopted: advertising on public ways, In public
places and on private property within public
view may be regulated by law"
The American Civic association, of which J.
Horace Mcfarland is president makes this
definite recommendation in this Billboard Bull
letin, written by the field secretary, Andrew
Wright Crawford:
I'VE recommend that states adopt constitu-
tional amendments authorizing the legislature
to pass acts of assembly under the police power
in the interest and for the protection of es-
thetics, the rule of reason now applicable to
legislation under the police power for the pro-
lection of the and nose to be likewise ap-
plicable to acts for the protection of the eye.
apparently the American Civic association
is the first to make this suggestion. 1t is plain
common sense Put esthetics under the public
power in your state by constitutional amend
ment. There are number of states where it
will not be difficult; let them lead the way.
Others will fall into line. By the time several
states have done so an amendment to the Unit
ed States constitution could be put through"
The report proceeds: IF we can get rid of
John Barleycorn by constitutional amend
ment, we can similarly get rid of Billy Bill
board. Indeed, John used to be one of Bills
best customers-it's pity that they don't go
together"
The bulletin urges not only action by egis-
lation, but also action by individuals. The re-
port says:
But you do not have to wait for the egis-
lature or the courts. You can reach billboards
in other ways One is to bring home to the
owners of land how much bllboards tend to re-
duce the value of the properties fronting toward
the billboards with a boomerang effect on the
properties themselves on which the bilboards
are erected.
TT is plain common sense that if you are
going to build house you won't want to buy
a lot that has billboard facing it. That bill
board may stay there for years. When one
owner of a vacant corner let's billboard be
erected on it he prevents a ready sale of the
other three corners, whether they are built upon
or unbuilt upon.
"Value in a real-estate sense consists of two
elements, possibility of sale and possibility of
quickness of that sale. The contiguous billboard
hits both of these elements, especially the lat
ter So long as the billboard stands so long
will it deter buyers it will postpone sales, which
means monetary loss from holding the property
a long time, paying taxes and losing interest.
"This is the first loss the billboard causes.
When sale is finally consummated, it will be
to some one who will get it at less than its
peak value, for the peak is covered by the wet
blanket of the billboard. This is the second
loss. But it is not only his neighbors' land
that the lessor to the billboard company de-
precates. 1t is his own. If land in the neigh
borhood won't sell, neither will his"