STREET HOARDINGS.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16963, 12 October 1920, Page 7

STREET HOARDINGS.

BOARD OF TRADE AND CITY COUNCIL.

Messrs Chandler and Co. recently applied to the City Council for permission to erect a hoarding in Worcester street near Manchester street. The hoarding would be about fifty feet in length by about twelve feet six inches in height. As tiho Board of Trade had granted Messrs Chandler and Co. permission to Teceive building materials through their usual sources of supply, the Bylaws Committee recommended the City Council last night that the request be acceded to, subject to the conditions imposed in respect to the erection ot hoardings. „ „ . . Messrs Chandler and Co. wrote gmng reasons. *wliy the proposal to ban advertising hoardings in the city should not be adopted. „ . , Cr. J. W. Beanland moved that the report bo referred back to the committee. The material being used for the hoardings was undoubtedly suitable tor house-building purposes, and for t)hat reason permits should not be granted. In any event, hoardings were not needed at all. If people wanted to advertise, they had the proper medium-—the newspapers—'•and there was no occasion to disfigure the city with unsightly , , ± , Cr. C. P. Agar seconded the motion. The President of the Board of Trade had assured him that the Board's permit did not override tho Council's authority. Cr. Agar added that he considered tflie hoardings an eyesore and a nuisance. Cr. A. McKellar said that hoardings were common everywhere, and were used, by Governments for propaganda work. He did not think'the timber and labour involved in the erection of hoardings would affect tho house-1 building business one iota. Cr. I>. G. Sullivan said he regarded the (hoardings as an abomination. ' Or. H. T. Armstrong said he saw no reason why the hoaraings should be absolutely prohibited. Cr. H. Hunter said the question before the Council related only to one particular permit—the bigger question of hoardings or no (hoardings was not involved.

Cr. A. Williams said tlie time bad arrived when all hoardings should be done away with, and he strongly objected to the issue of any more permits. At the same time existing permits should be respected. Cr. I/angley protested tJhat if hoardings were to d© prohibited, it would stifle a baby industry—that of the poster artist. Cr. C. S. Harper said it was ridiculous to attempt to stop people from advertising by hoardings or by any other method.

Cr. J. A. Flesher referred to the value of the hoardings to the Sdhool of Art students who did poster work to Eay their art fees. Furthermore, the oardings produced an annual revenue to the Council, and were under the censorship of the Town Clerk. Cr. Beanland's motion was rejected by 11 votes to 6, and the report was adopted.

BOARD OP TRADE STATEMENT. In connexion with the previous refusal _of the City Council to grant a permit for the erection of. a hoarding by an advertising firm on the ground that tho timber required would b<x bet-, tor employed in house-building, a "Press" reporter yesterday asked Mr W. G. McDonald, chairman of the Board of Trade, if tho City Council had power to refuse the issue of the permit, which had already becai granted by the Board of Trade, and if the issue of the permit by tho Board settled the matter?

Mr McDonald replied that tho permit in question had been granted subject to the City Council's approval, and to _ tho erection conforming with' any building by-laws dealing. with hoardings. The permit was provisionally granted by tho Board becauso it was pointed out that the only timber used in tho hoardings would "be Australian hardwood and New Zealand beech, which are not suitable for house-build-ing purposes. The local body concerned had the last word, and the fact that a permit was issued by the Board of Trade would not override a refusal bv the City Council.