HOARDINGS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19080, 16 August 1927, Page 8

HOARDINGS.

NO MORE LICENSES? CITY COUNCIL'S DISCUSSION. Anything but unanimity was evident among City Councillors at last ovening's meeting, when a clause in favour of the total abolition of hoardings was reached. The By-laws Committee reported on tho question in the following terms:— "In view of the decision of the late Council'that the question of the renewal of hoarding licenses should be considered about September each year, in order that three months' notice could be given of the Council's intention not to renew the license for any particular hoarding, the committee has considered the matter and recommends that notice be given to hoarding proprietors to the effect that none of the licenses for existing hoardings will bo renewed after December 31st next." Cr. E. H. Andrews said that he was sorry that tho committee's report was so drastic. He wanted his vote recorded against the .proposal. Ho would go to a certain extent regarding hoardings, but he had his limits. He did not think that hoardings should be eliminated altogether as this would mean interfering with a respectable business. If tho hoardings were cut out altogether newspaper notice boards should be abolished as well as the hoardings in front of tho picture palaces, also shop signs. It seemed to him that it was not right for a Labour Council to interfere with tho men employed in such a business. He understood that one firm had about a dozen men repairing hoardings, in addition to which further men were employed doing other work connected with such advertising. What about tho Railway Department's hoardings, ho asked, and those of a certain firm which claimed the right to use hoardings at any time without paying, anv rental whatever for them ? He thought that legislation would be necessary to deal with the hoardings of the firm referred to. The hoardings in general around the City were quite presentable structures and the matter displayed on them was well scrutinised before being displayed. He hoped that it would not be necessary to go so far as to eliminate hoardings altogether; no other city m the Dominion went so far. He moved that the clause be referred backto the committee. Hoardings Supported. In seconding the motion, Cr. T. M. Butterfield said that hoardings often hid unsightly patches in the City, and suburbs. He knew of one firm -which employed lo persons on work connected with hoardings. No doubt therp were many oilier firms who employed men and .boys, and he did not want to see them thrown out of employment. Cr. G. Manning said that the wording of the report was ambiguous, and asked tho Doputy-Mayor for a ruling concerning the matter., It was clear that it meant that no licenses were to bo issued after this year. Cr. C. Carr said that he would like to see the clause struck out altogether. The matter had been discussed ad nauseam round the table, and he did not think if it came to tho point the Council would have the power to act as was suggested. If ho were a betting man he would bo prepaved to bet on, it. Cr. Sullivan: Don't bet too much. Cr. Carr said that he had gone carefully into the matter, and considered that his opinion was sound. There was an old hoarding in Woolston that was nearly dropping to pieces, yet the people of the district could not get it removed. He was absolutely against the pernicious, nefarious monopoly that the newspapers of the City wanted in advertising. It was remarkable' that the papers were unanimous in wishing to get the hoardings removed. They might as well be honest and state that their reason for desiring to remove the hoardings was that they wanted the control of advertising in their own hands. Ho spoke appreciatively of commercial art, and said that hoardings meant competitive advertising, and this was desirable. The Deputy-Mayor said that it was tho rule of the Council to grant the right to use hoardings for one year, three months' notification to terminate such a right to be given. Inconsistent Views. Cr. M. E. Lyons said that it was singular that views were expressed in open meeting which were not expressed in committee. All the committee had in view whon bringing the matter before the Council again was to know what councillors thought of it; then, knowing those' views, they would be able to carry on. Cr. E. R. McCombs said sho had protested more than once against the proposal to abolish hoardings, and to give a monopoly in advertising to the newspapers. It was an unjust proposal. The whole town was plastered with hideous advertisements, whereas there was a degree of art among those on hoardings. It was a definite form of art, which had given many students a start. There was no objection, so far as she saw, to well-regulated hoardings. Tho power of City Councils to, regulate hoardings was established, 'but their power to abolish them had yet to be proved. Cri McCombs referred to the "abominable little boards" advertising the contents of the evening newspapers, and to the "paper fluttering from them." Cr. J. W. Roberts supported the amendment to refer the clause back. "Hoarding proprietors are making Borne effort to beautify the City," he said. The School of Art was catering for this class of work, which would develop to a very fine art indeed, and they should not restrain it in any way. He objected to tho hoardings shown by the picture theatres and the Theatre Royal. The Council should do something to effect an improvement. Or. R. M. Macfarlane said he had voted against the clause in committee, and the reading of the clause mystified him. It did not represent the feeling of a majority of the By-laws Commit tee. He was not in favour of the abolition of all hoardings, but thought the Council should utilise its powers to regulate them. Cr. Sullivan said that perhaps the discussion had no "need to go any further. When the amendment to refer the clause back was carried, Cr. Beanland's was tho only voice raised against it. "You're a lot of shufflers," he declared.