Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-12-02
Morton Co. Refuses to Wait
Three Years Allowed
by Statute.
INDIVIDUALS ALSO AID
DRIVE TO CURB SIGNS
Maj. D. A. Dawson Says Co-opera-
ton Assured in Banishing I'm
slightly Confusion Here.

With definite assurances of co-opera-
ton from billboard companies and
many individual advertisers, Maj. Don
aid A. Dawson, acting Engineer Com
missioner, expressed the opinion today
that outdoor advertising conditions in
Washington would improve greatly I'M
der the new sign regulations which be-
came effective Monday.
The Morton Advertising Co., one CT
the largest users of billboard space in
the District, has notified Maj. Dawson
it intends to remove it's boards from
public parks and buildings areas and
residential zones as soon as practicable.
The company will not wait it was said,
for the expiration of the period of grace
allowed under the regulations before
doing its part to clean up conditions in
tend to create an unfayorable impress
sion.
Three-Year Limit Set.
In framing the regulations, Maj,
Dawson and the Sign Committee
agreed to give the billboard companies
three years in which to comply with
an agreement to remove all advertls-
ing units from residential and public
building and park zone sites. The
stipulation was that 40 per cent of the
units would be removed during the
first year. In agreeing to begin the
removal Of all it's boards in these areas
at once the Morton Co. has gone far
beyond the original agreement with the
committee.
In return for removing boards from
these zones, practically all of which
were authorized at one time by per-
nit, the companies will be allowed to
rehabilitate boards in business and in
dustrial districts. Many Of these boards
are now in an unsightly condition.
Maj. Dawson said he believed other
their boards instead of doing the job
piecemeal over the three-year period.
The appointment of a chief sign in
spector is the first problem that must
be decided in enforcing the new regu-
lations. Maj. Dawson has not indi-
Gated who he has in mind for that
post. Building Inspector John w. Och
mann will designate one of his inspec-
tors in each district to cover signs as
well as building activities. In that
way, with police cooperation, the Sign
Committee believes there will be strict
enforcement of the rules.
Sees Little Hardship.
Maj. Dawson does not anticipate any
lack of cooperation from business
firms and storekeepers indulging in
outdoor advertising. Inspectors will
keep in close touch with the sign paint
ers, who generally work on contingent
contracts. Permits, it was reminded,
viii be required for every new sign
put in place or painted.
The regulations will work little or no
hardship on places of business, it was
believed. With a few notable exceptions
most OF them now are complying with
the spirit of the new law. Indiscriminate
advertising is prohibited. For instance
outdoor signs must advertise the prod
uctS actually sold on the premises or
the business conducted on the premises
Inc rules themselves definitely limit
the maximum space that can be de-
voted to outdoor advertising, and the
police have received instructions to en-
force these provisions.
Some of the gasoline stations In the
city already have adopted, of their own
accord, neat panel advertising the
ol11erent brands of oils sold on the
premises. Maj. Dawson believes this is
Inc pest form of advertising adopted. as
IL does away with an assortment Of
small signs that otherwise detract from
the appearance of the filling station
He Is confident that other stations soon
Will follow suit.