Evening star., 1932-05-26
CLEANUP BLOCKS
BILLBOARD EXCUSE
UnsightIy Conditions Given as
Reason for Poster Panels
Removed.

Private wrecking crews have demon
Strated the fallacy of the claim sup
ported by the District Commissioners in
behalf of the billboard industry that a
new and taller billboard fence Is needed
to screen unsightly conditions at New
York and Florida avenues northeast
Within the last "a hours the lessee
Of the square involved in the billboard
dispute has practically remedied condi-
tions complained of by the Commits
sioners and used as an excuse by the
billboard company to foster upon the
Washington public its new type of
poster panel. Sheds have been de-
molished, automobile dumps leveled.
and now only the existing billboards
themselves, for which the General Co.
is responsible, remain on public parking
space.
All the auto wrecking operations on
the square are now concealed behind a
neat whitewashed fence extending
some Is or 20 feet behind the old line
of billboards and the wire fence re-
Gently erected to take the place of sew
eral rotted boards When the cleanup
job is completed the operations behind
this whiteWashed fence on 0 street be-
tween First street and Florida avenue
will be invisible to pedestrians and
autoiStS.
Past Policy Threatened.
While the Commissioners have not vet
actually issued the permit for the erec-
ton of new and now apparently I'M
necessary billboard fence, it is under
stood they are going ahead with that
aim in mind If they do so, 1t will 60
down on record as the first time in 10
years at least that any Board Of Com
missioners has capitulated to the bill
board industry to the extent of author
izing the replacement of old boards
with new ones For such a precedent
the billboard industry and the General
outdoor Advertising Co. in particular
have battled for years. Heretofore their
efforts have met with failure because Of
the firm stand taken by other Com
missioners.
When civic interests reminded the
Commissioners it was within their
power to remove billboards from public
parking space, and also to clean up
conditions on the lot involved in the
dispute, Capt. Hugh p Dram, chief of
engineer inspection began to investi-
gate. He instructed the police and Sign
Inspector Thomas F. Roche to see what
they could do to secure necessary CO.
operation.
They found the manager Of the COM
pany who was responsible for the un-
slightly heaps Of wrecked cars not only
willing but anxious to cooperate 100
per cent in such efforts. The manager,
|. CHASER, who leases the ground from
the Winslow estate, Immediately put
wrecking crews to work The results
showed that conditions do not now re-
quire 20-foot billboard fence to con-
ceal them.
Great Improvement Seen.
An inspection of the site by a reporter
for The Star revealed earlier conditions
vastly improved. On a previous visit
last week the whitewashed fence which
stands some 20 feet behind the few re-
naming billboards was concealed from
view by sheds and high dumps of auto
mobile wreckage. All this has been
cleared away from the front of the
fence. 1t Is Mr.. Glassers purpose to
confine his wrecking operations in the
space between the fence and the edge
of the public parking for the sale Of
used cars. This would mean that all
the rubbish would be cleared away
These improvements, which will be
permanent, entirely knock out the argu-
ment that billboard barricade at that
particular frontage on o street is neces-
sary in the public interest. In CO.
operating with the District authorities
the wrecking company has gone much
further than was expected of it.
Even should the Commissioners grant
the replacement permit to the billboard
company, it was said today. the COM
pany would be compelled to relinquish
its use of public parking space. They
have called for a surveyors plat, how
ever, to determine the exact building
line at the location.
Signs Appear Unsafe.
Mr.. CHASER, the lessee of the lot, re-
ceives no rental from the o street bill
boards which the company is so anxious
to substitute with lifetime boards The
rentals, it was said, are paid to the
owner.
In the opinion of Inspector Roche. the
, existing signs are so near so per cent
deprecated that In comparatively
short time they could be ordered down
as unsafe. 1t is this intent Of the sign
regulations which the company seeks
to evade with the consent of the Com
missioners No effort has been made
apparently, to improve the old boards,
even under the liberal allowances pro-
vided especially for the billboard COM
panies in the regulations
Some of the leaders In the civic cam
paign that led to the enactment Of the
new sign law were of the opinion today
that If the Commissioners 60 through
with this replacement program it would
warrant efforts to amend the regula-
tions so as to safeguard the National
Capital against any further encroach-
ment of billboards. Individual business
firms and department stores. 1t wa
pointed out, have been compelled to
achere strictly to the regulations To
compromise with the General Co.. it was
claimed. was a discrimination which
eventually would intrench billboards SC
strongly In Washington as to defeat