Evening star., 1927-09-04
BY BEN McKELWAY.

The District government does not
believe in signs. A campaign has be-
gun to enforce rigidly the long g-stand-
ing legislation and regulations regard
ing signs, and the Police Department
now Is engaged in bringing to book
those who heedlessly or Intentionally
haunt the several commandments ap-
pertaining thereto. Any one who wants
to put up billboard or an exception.
ally enticing sign upon the public
streets IS looked upon with cold sus.
picion at the District Building. The
chances are that his request will be
turned down.
Recently the agency responsible for
renting offices in a new building de-
cided to advertise the fine space avail.
able. The sign sought was to be more
than 100 square feet, and. it was dis.
covered that the permit for such a
sign could be secured only upon the
approval of the Engineer Commits.
sioner. 1t was important that the
sign be placed conspicuously on the
outside of the building on the day fol-
lowing the appearance of large ad-
vertisement in the Washington news.
papers. and application for the permit
was made. In the meantime, the
agency had the sign painted and a
crew Of men appeared to put 1t up.
Hardly had they started their labors
when they were stopped by a police.
man, who asked to see the permit.
The policeman was told that the per.
NIT had been applied for, but he would
not let the sign be erected until 1t had
been granted. so the rental agency
dispatched two men to the District
Building to obtain the permit, mean
while telling the sign-erecting crew
to wait until their return. The EN-
issaries first appeared at the office OF
the building inspector and outlined
their wants. They were told to see
the Engineer Commissioner. They
found one of his assistants and were
directed to return to the building in
spector and get his approval first. They
returned to the building inspector ant
after wait of about half an hour re
ceived his approval in the form Of q
| typewriter statement of six lines OF
so. Then they were directed again tc
the Engineer Commissioner office
The Engineer Commissioner assist
ant scanned the building Inspector
approval, and stated that the applica
ton would have to receive the En-
gineer Commissioners o. K. This was
finally procured, and the pernoit-seek
ers were directed back to the building
inspectors office. There they were
directed to the proper agency for re.
ceiving the money required for the
permit. and upon payment they were
furnished with the necessary permits
sion. The procedure involved abou,
two hours, during which the sign
erecting crew had been resting. Rest
ing is an expensive process.
n \ 4 X
The incident furnishes an example
Of the close and careful scrutiny tc
which all applications for permits tt
erect signs are now subjected at the
District Building. The Commissioners
have wide authority regarding the
erection Of signs in the District. and,
with the policy in mind Of preserving
the city's good appearance, they are
exercising it. Policemen have been
Informed, through a special memo
randum, of the laws applying to the
erection Of signs, and have been asked
to look out for and report any
violations.
In 1902 Congress set out to rid the
District of the billboard nuisance by
providing that no new ones should be
erected. The theory was that when a
billboard then in use was condemned
by the building inspector because OF
it's age, no new billboard would be
allowed to take its place. After rs
years it would seem reasonable to sup,
pose that the majority Of billboards in