Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-07
SIGN COMMITTEE
TO STUDY CHANGES
Action to Revise Regulations
Expected to Await Return
of Maj. Dawson.

A meeting of the District Sign Com
mittee will be held tomorrow for the
purpose OF studying and acting on
changes suggested in the proposed new
regulations controlling all forms of out
door advertising within the District of
Columbia.
1t was expected that action would be
deferred on the billboard section until
the return Of Maj Donald A. Dawson
Assistant Engineer Commissioner and
chairman of the committee, who Is now
in Boston. Maj. Dawson Is expected
back in about a week.
Due to criticisms Of the billboard sec
ton and failure of the authorized" list
of billboards to be completed in time for
the recent public hearing, the acting
chairman, Roland M. Brennan, chief
clerk of the engineer department, said
yesterday he would suggest postpone
ment of action on the billboard section.
Check Lists From Permits.
The list is being carefully checked
from all permits issued Tor olilooaros;
fence signs and wall signs now located
in the District. Since it is proposed In
the regulations to rescind all outstand-
ing permits on and after July l, this
list would be established under the
regulations as the duly authorized To-
cations to which no sign can be added
in the future or replaced, If once re-
moved.
Representatives OF public interest
groups at the recent hearings urged
postponment of action on the billboard
section until the list is made available
to the public for study.
TofIYpnhar Of cii0OpSfi0nS for
changes in various sections of the
drafted regulations which the commits
sioners have yet to approve. Consld-
ering the wide scope of the regulations,
however the favorable attitude Of busl-
ness generally with respect to them
indicates a general willingness to CO.
operate in removing unsightly signs
and otherwise remedying conditions.
Section Criticized.
A majority of the criticisms were di-
rected against the section which pro-
hibits the erection or display OF signs
on any premises which do not advertise
"a bona-fide business conducted on
the premises and for which business
certificate Of occupancy has been is
sued by the inspector Of buildings"
The committee apparently is in &C
cord with the opinion that this should
be modlt1ed 10 some eAUeHt, 50 do W
take care of products sold on the
premises. but not to such an extent as
would permit an abuse of the privilege.
Some of the independent filling sta
tions and small shopkeepers. for in
stance, claim that strict enforcement
and Interpretation of the section as 1t
now stands would seriously handicap
their business.
Filling Stations Cited.
The independent operators Of filling
sttions, it was pointed out, sell num-
Der of popular brands Of oils. Under
strict Interpretation of the section,
these brands could not be advertised.
Only one sign, they claim, could be
erected advertising the filling station.
The suggestion has been made by Mr..
Brennan that perhaps this could be
remedied by permission to display a
neat, single sign, showing in parSls, the
/ different kinds of oils sold on the
premises. This could be done in
manner he believes, that could conform
to the spirit Of the regulations. He let
it be understood that the committee
apparently has no intention of liberal
izing the section to such an extend that
miscellaneous signs could be erected.