Evening star., 1932-05-22
B|LLBOARDS WIN
F|RMER FOOTHOLD
Ancient Signs to Be Replaced
by New Ones as Commits
sioners Compromise.

| District Commissioners are capitulat-
ing to outdoor sign interests, which, 1t
is charged by civic interests. are doing
much to deface the beauties and charm
of the National Capital.
With the approval Of the Commits
sioners, the local billboard industry will
be permitted to replace a nest Of old
billboards in the vicinity of Florida and
New York avenues northeast with a
new type of painted structure, larger
and more conspicuous than those with
which Washingtonians are commonly
familiar.
Maj. Donald A. Dawson. Assistant
Engineer Commissioner, assumed the
responsibility of putting through the
plan, an object long sought by the
General Outdoor Advertising Co. as an
entering wedge to protect itself under
the sign regulations. He deemed 1t
necessary compromise to make with the
billboard company, which has only
lived up to its former agreements with
the District authorities through COM
pulsion.
Approval Limited.
Realizing the danger involved to the
fundamentals of the sign regulations,
the Commissioners qualified their sp-
prov al OF the plan with a declaration
that at is to be understood that the
permission applies only to this particu-
lar location and is not to be considered
a precedent or policy applying to bill
boards in other locations"
DR.. Luther H. Reichelderfer admitted
that the billboard company. having OBJ
tanned this concession, possibly would
| come forward in due course to. demand
similar privileges at other locations.
The immediate effect Of the plan
will be to substitute for 19 old bill
! boards, at least 10 years old. IA new
poster panels strongly reinforced to
defy the ravages of time. The location
! in question is in the heart of one of
the chief industrial centers of the city.
For a long time. the Commissioners
explained. the police have been unable
to cope with deplovable conditions on
some of the lots in the vicinity now
partially obscured by advertising dis
plays. The billboard company seized
upon these conditions as an opportu-
nifty to fasten permanently on the
public gaze, its newest type of scenic
poster They offered as a partial in
QuCeEleQJ, JIle VI 4AFC va
the old billboards.
New Boards Larger.
Most Of the new boards will front
on o street and New York avenue,
replacing the old units now in exist
ence. They will have ornamental col
umns, latticed on either side and under
the bottom moulding. At night they
will be Illuminated.
The old boards are 10 by 25 feet in
size With or 5 foot lattice work,
the new posters will have the advan-
tage of increased size and higher
elevation.
Before Maj. Dawson presented
the matter to the Commissioners, he
secured from the American Civic AsSo-
citation a luke warm acceptance of the
plan, based solely on an understanding
that he deemed the compromise with
the billboard company was essential to
the removal Of advertising displays
from residential and public building
locations The association, however,
refused to approve the principle in
volved and reserved the right to work
for a more stringent billboard law.
Avoid Depreciation.
Replacing old boards with new ones,
it was pointed out, enables the bill
board company to escape the SO per
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