Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-29
POLICE TO LAUNCH
SIGNS CAMPAIGN
New Regulations Requiring
Permits viii Become
Effective Tomorrow.

A police drive to remove hundreds of
miscellaneous advertising signs of the
tack and hammer" type and posters in
the windows of vacant buildings will be
started this week under the recently
promulgated sign regulations for the
District of Columbia, which become CT
fective tomorrow.
Prior to enforcing the penalties pro-
vided in the regulations, the District
Sign Committee met with Maj. Donald
A. Dawson, acting Engineer Commits
sioner, and considered various phases
of the outdoor advertising situation.
Representatives of the three billboard
companies also met with them and
agreed to cooperate in removing I'M
authorized billboards from the streets.
Nothing will be gained by the new
sign law and regulations unless active
cooperation of the Police Department
is given" Roland M. Brennan, chief
clerk Of the Engineer Department, and
member of the committee who has
been most active in preparing the reg
ulationS, announced yesterday.
Constant vigilance is necessary to
be exercised to prevent erection and
display of unlawful signs. The police
man on the beat Is in a better position
than anybody else to detect new signs
and to assure himself that such signs
are erected or displayed under author
ity of duly authorized permits. The
marking of signs with the permit num-
Der and date of permit will aid police
men in detecting unlawful signs"
Law Effective Tomorrow.
The 30-day period following the pub
lication of the regulations expires today
but owing to the fact that it is Sun
day, the regulations will not become en-
forceable until tomorrow. Permits for
signs are required.
Notice was given by the Sign Com
mittee that the regulations empower
the District Commissioners to revoke
any permit for cause.
Approximately $500 printed copies of
the new regulations will be issued to
the Police Department so that each
policeman will have copy. Inspector
Lewis I. H. Edwards. who is a member
of the Sign Committee, will cover the
regulations in his daily police bulletins.
He also has issued orders that inStruc-
tons be given policemen in enforcing
the regulations at the sessions Of the
police school,
Copies already have been distributed
to many business firms. The commit
tee is having small metal markers made
at the Occoquan Workhouse to give to
the billboard companies, it was said for
attaching to boards which have been
duly authorized. In the case Of wall
signs, the permit numbers will be paint
ed on them.
Although the law permitted one
months period of grace to enable the
public to become acquainted with the
| provisions Of the regulations and take
| necessary steps to comply with them,
it is not expected that any rigid en-
forcement will be applied Immediately:
The list of authorized billboards Will
not be available for police until tomor-
row, at least, and the police themselves
will require time to familiariZe them
| selves with the regulations.
Will Assign Inspector.
Wade Coombs, superintendent Of IL
censes, was notified by the committee
to take steps to see that all persons
engaged in the painting, erection or
maintaining of signs are properly IL
censed. Other details must be worked
out
| 1t is proposed to assign a chief in
| spector of signs in the office OF the
building inspector and to designate also
| field inspectors in the various districts
The chief inspector will co-ord I,a1.
| with the police. Inspection OF Signs
| however, will be subordinated to the
regular tasks of the building inspectors
office.
Mr.. Brennan said that the General
| Outdoor Advertising Co. had agreed
| to take down some of its boards IN tre
so-called ShipStead zones bordering on
public parks during the present month,
! instead of taking advantage OF the
longer period allowed under the regula-
tions. The Morton Advertising Co., ne
said, "has co-operated all along the
line" despite the fact that it will lose
about 35 per cent of its billboards IN
the city.
The committee is anxious to order
the removal of tack and hammer
signs from buildings and garages at the
earliest possible opportunity. Police
have been given special instructions
about these assorted signs which are
banned under the regulation. Property
owners were urged to lend their CO.
operation.