Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-15
FIRMsTAKE SIGNS
FROM HIGHWAYS
Cooperation Pledged in
Move to Improve Roads En-
tering Washington.

Along with other Arms which have
agreed to abandon billboard advertising
on highways IN the Washington terri
tory before the 1882 Bicentennial cele-
bration, Saks & Co., one of Washing
tons leading clothing stores, has noti-
fed the American Civic Association II
will do likewise.
According to Isaac Cans, the store
advertises on only one billboard, wnlch
is displayed on the road to Alexandra.
For many years, Mr.. Cans said, the flrm
has abandoned outdoor advertising and
the sign in question was engaged LOT
temporary use only. Mr.. Cans said he
was heartily in favor OF keeping road
sides in an orderly appearance ana pc
lieyed especially that the stretch of ter
ritory through which the Mount Vernon
Memorial Boulevard will extend should
be free from billboards and other pro-
miscuous signs.
Contracts Have Expired.
INQUIRY from firms whose names APP
peared on billboards in the vicinity OF
Washington developed the TACT IN sew
eral cases that the contracts on these
boards had expired and the property
owner or the advertising agency had
neglected to remove the signs.
In the case of Woodward & Lothrop
and S. Kann Sons Co, two OF WASH
ingtons oldest and best known depart
nent stores, their attention was called
to the fact that their names, along
with others as distributors for a ma
tionally known product, had been no.
ticed on billboards in the Washington
suburban territory. 1t was well known
to the American Civic Association that
~, u FofrIgaH
to indulge in highway advertising for
years, and the information Sas given
BY both firms that their names had
been used in this manner without their
knowledge.
The Ebbitt Hotel, through George
Holbrook, manager, notified the aSSo-
citation of its willingness always to CO.
operate in keeping the roadsides in an
orderly appearance. i wlSh>to ADVISE
that our signs appear on the roads lead
ing to Washington only because the
property owners on which our signs are
placed have not removed them" Mr..
Holhrook wrote. "Our contract on them
expired in May, 1929"
Hotel Is Cooperating.
Evidently for the same reasons one
or more signs advertising the Hotel
Commodore still appear on certain roads
In the Washington region. To the as
ISOLATION L. H. frey, president Of the
hotel company. wrote: II wish to state
that 50 far as we know there are no
signs advertising the Commodore Hotel
on these roads. We had a contract for
q few signs on these roads, but it was
Cancelled about two years ago.
we are heartily in accord with your
campaign to improve the highway en-
frances into Washington, and will be
very glad to cooperate with your COM
nitteG in every possible way"
Representative Sol Bloom, associate
director of the Washington Bieentennial
Commission, said today he had received
other replies from users Of billboards,
some of whom had pledged themselves
to cooperate fully with the plans of
the commission to clean up the high
ways within two miles of the District
line.
With some newly made contracts run
ming for three and even five years, it
was expected that difncultieS would be
encountered, but Mr.. Bloom is hopeful
that way would be worked out where
by unsightly billboards would be en-
tfrely eliminated within this radius be-
fore the 1882 celebration. Everywhere,
he said, he had encountered spirit Of
cooperation.