Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-22

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objection of the American Civic ASso-
citation, sponsor of the campaign now
being waged to clean up the roadside en-
frances to the Capital and for more
effective control of the situation inside
the District.
Miss Harlean James, executive secre-
tary of the American Civic Association,
today anticipated that the measure
would give the Commissioners the right
to permit outdoor advertising interests
to rehabilitate their billboards or, in
other words, put them in such shape
that they would stand the wear and
tear of another Is years or more. The
only way to get rid of them effectively,
she declared, is to permit them to rot
away.
She indicated today that she would
seek a conference with the Commission
ers on this point, with view to some
amendment which would make 1t man
datory on the Commissioners to pre-
vent the billboards from being improved
in any way except under the existing
regulations.
Wants Public Hearing Provision.
Another objection voiced by Miss
James is the failure of the bill to make
it mandatory for the Commissioners TO
hold public hearings on any suggested
change in regulations. Maj. GotwalS
declared that the Commissioners have
never yet failed to give any group OF
citizens the right to be heard under
such conditions and could see no rea-
son for concern in that connection.
One of the most serious conditions in
the District is the presence Of thou
sands of signs of every description plas-
tered over the walls of stores, garages
and other places of business. The
Commissioners are now powerleSS to
prevent the painting or erection OF
sign requiring no building permit If that
sign advertiseS business conducted or
a commodity sold on the premises. AS
a result the number of such signs has
increased in recent years to such an
extent that the regulation frequently is
being violated by the advertising of
products not sold under the premises.
1t is practically incapable of being en-
forced.
AS soon as the regulatory bill becomes
a law, Maj. Donald A. Dawson, Assist
ant Engineer Commissioner, explained,
it would be possible to make and en-
fectively control this disorderly array
of ck-and-hammer" signs.
Single Sign Suggested.
1t would be possible, he said, to or
der down all illegal signs and provide,
in the place of the usual number of
signs on store or building, only one
sign advertising the firm. On this one
sign, ne said, it would be possible to
paint names of various national prod
ucts sold on the premises. These names
could be changed from time to time,
such as the billboard people are now
permitted to do on their established
boards.
Under one of the proposed amend
ments the bill bestows upon the Com
missioners the right to control, re-
strict and provide for maintenance of
all outdoor signs ION public ways and
public space under their control and
on private property within public view
within the District. This was in
tended merely to safeguard the law
with respect to the public parks under
the jurisdiction of the Office of public
buildings and grounds over which the
Commissioners, of course, have no juris-
diction. It was inserted at the Sug-
gestion of Lieut.. Col. u. S. Grant, Sd,
so as to prevent the charge being raised
that the bill gives the Commissioners
unlawful Jurisdiction.