Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-05-20
NEED OF MATURE THOUGHT ON
FLAG DISPLAY

4 At the present time an out OF tOWH
party is endeavoring to sell to Au-
gusta merchants an idea for uni
formity of flag display on holidays.
This uniformity Of display is to be
obtained through the use of stats OF
uniform height and flags of uniform
size on the outer edge of the curb In
the business section. The decorating
company furnishes everything requir-
ed for this display, including holder
for the flag staff which Is OF white
pine twelve feet long Jointed. four
by six foot flag, and quarter Inch
rope for the flag, The staff Is one and
one half inches in diameter. This
outfit is furnished with an iron socket
to be set into the sidewalk for NOM
inal sum. Each merchant would be
expected to purchase from one to sew
eral flag units according to the length
of his street frontage.
The idea of having uniformity OF
flag display along Augustus business
streets is good and on first thought
this plan of carrying out such an idea
seems good. In fact we understand
that this particular plan has been en-
dorsed by the James Fitzgerald Post
American Legion and the promoters
claim to have obtained permission
from the City to make the necessary
installations along the sidewalks.
However, on second thought there
seems to be some Objectionable feat
ures connected with this plan. In the
first place the uniformity of display
will not be achieved unless practical
ly every merchant installs these flags
in front of his store. This would
mean that every twenty or thirty feet
along both sides Of Water Street at
the edge of the sidewalk would be a
flag staff sticking up. 1t seems to us
quite apparent that on such narrow
and congested business street as ours
these staffs would be decided NUS
ance and might even at times cause
accidents to automobilists and pedes-
TRANS. 1t quite often happens that on
certain holidays Water Street is
crowded with pedestrians and auto
mobiles. Last Armistice Day, Water
street was completely damned with
people waiting to view the big Armis-
tice Day Parade. Such will be the
case next Fourth Of July If the plans
! for a monster celebration as proposed
at the last meeting Of the James Fitz-
gerald Post are carried out. At such
times these staffs strung all along the
| edge of the curb would make our mar
row sidewalks still more crowded, lit
tie tots and even grown ups might be
damned against them and badly in
jured, car owners parked along the
curb would find them nuisance
when getting out or opening the doors
of their machines. Furthermore traf-
! fic on Water street is not decreasing
but increasing each year-the city
has just expended considerable sum
in enlarging Commercial street to re-
!
street; the city long ago recognized
the necessity of keeping free every
available foot of sidewalk by forbid
| ding any unnecessary display Of mer-
chandise in front Of the stores-but
now it Is proposed to plant STATS all
along the edge of the sidewalk on
both sides-surely such step would
not be in keeping with the City's poll
cy and effort to improve traffic condi-
lions on its principal business street
| We believe Augusta Merchants
should consider this plan carefully be.
fore subscribing to support it, espe-
cially as it seems to us that the old
method Of erecting a flag staff from
| the building over the store entrance
and extending out over the street is
much more practical and effective
This method permits the use of a
good sized flag which hung at an
! angle over the street presents a much
more prominent display and at the
same time can't get in anyone's way
or cause any accidents. Many Of the
merchants already have these staffs
and display good sized flags from
them on National holidays. Unfor-
tunately many other merchants do
not, but If these merchants would
provide such flags also, we feel sure
Water Street would present a much
more beautiful and impressive flag
display than 1t would be possible to
achieve by series of small six by
four flags hung from the top of
twelve foot poles. Every Augusta
merchant should take pride in dis
playing the flag before his store-the
display should be unanimous but it
should be done in way that will be
practical as well as effective.