Evening star., 1932-06-10
Two Removed From Old
Camp Meigs Site at
Inspectors Request.
DETAILED REPORT ASKED
ON PROGRESS OF CLEANUP
Outdoor Company Manager Says 1t
Will Show Agreement Has Been
Carried Out in Full.

the mart of the General outdoor Adver-
tising Co. in efforts of District authori-
ties to improve appearances In certain
sections of the city. Sign Inspector
Thomas F. Roche said today the COM
many had removed two large billboards
at his request from the old Camp Meigs
site.
Mr. Roche had inspected the signs
and found them in an unsightly condl-
ton They faced the busy New York
avenue thoroughfare just off the rail-
wav tracks in that Northeast nelghbor-
hood. The two signs were on the duly
authorized list, and without the willing
ness of the company, he said, there was
! no possible way to bring about their
removal
When John E. Shoemaker. local man
ager of the company. was approached
on the subject he agreed Immediately
| to Mr.. Roches request and sent OUT a
wrecking crew TO compete tne Joo, MI
Shoemaker. it was said. has undertaken
to cooperate as much as possio.e iii
! cleaning up what are regarded as un-
| slightly sign conoltlolls III iioue oe1-
! tiOns of the city.
! Since the dispute arose over tne re-
nlacement of old billboards in the vcln-
| itv Of New York and Florlca avenues
| northeast which obscured an automo-
bile wrecking dump, the commissioners
have called for a detailed report to
| shcw lust how far the General Out
door Co has gone in removing Dill
boards and painting out wall signs IN
residential and public building loca-
! tions under previous agreement WIN
the Sign Committee. The elimination
. process was to continue uncer three
year period, AS yet the report Has No'
been made public.
Concession Made.
Mr.. Shoemaker, however. contends II
! will show the company has done all ano
, more than was expected OF 1t under th.s
agreement.
In return for eliminating these un-
| desirable boards-in locations which the
! comrany admits are detrimental to good
! will-the Sign Committee had agreed
, to permit the repair and reconoluonlng
| of established and authorized blllooaros
In, commercial and industrial areas, m
Guiding those of the Morton Co, Whlch
/ ShoemakerS concern has since taken
! over
! The question which arose in connec-
, ton with the dispute over boards al Ne"
/ York and Florida avenues involved, prl-
! marily. the replacement OF old poaros
with new boards of galvanized iron con-
| struction. giving them a permanency
( that precluded any condemnation as
provided under the regulations.
Opponents of the plan claimed the
substitution of wrought poster
panels for old wooden boards. which
eventually must be ordered down when
! so per cent deprecated, was outside the
scope of any agreement which they un'
derstood the Sign Committee mace with
the billboard interests. Repairing or re-
! conditioning of the existing boards, II
was said. would not have aroused any
protests in this particular case, owing
! to the condition of the lot in section
which is being steadily improved. SC
! far as these conditions were concerned
opponents of the replacement plan felt
the District authorities could do much
| themselves to improve them.
Insists on Repair Rights.
The billboard company has consist
| emily contended it should have not only
the right to repair billboards in COM
| mercial areas, but also to replace ole
ones if it is to sacrifice advertising units
| in residential areas. With respect te
| the site at New York and Florida ave-
nues, Mr.. Shoemaker contends the new
poster panels, ornamented and land
scaped, would improve condition Whlcf
has long been allowed to exist. Oppo,
| nents fought the plan because. 1t was
said, they regarded any replacement Of
old billboards as a precedent which
would be followed up by similar request:
of the company to decorate other loca-
tions. Since it was not the aim of the
sign regulations to permit the erection
of new billboards, it was claimed the
replacement program. even though con-
fined to one location. would serve as
the first wedge to make the practice
more general at some other time.
The whole matter is still in the hands
Of Maj. John c. Gotwals Engineer Com
missioner. the Commissioners having
reconsidered their first intention to issue
the replacement permit. Meanwhile
checks are being made on the remova
of boards or abandonment Of boards a.
claimed by the company.
| A casual survey made bv Star re-
porter with Mr.. Shoenrker in the
! Southwest section showed some of the
boards had been cut down to the height
of an ordinary fence and painted over
! This was done on several sites where
the actual removal of the boards woulc
have revealed unsightly conditions or
| the lots.