HOARDING CONTROL

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 223, 17 June 1936, Page 12

HOARDING CONTROL

Restrictions Criticised Comment on the effect of by-laws relating to hoardings which it was stated were contemplated by the Wellington City Council was made at the meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce last night when it was decided to send representatives of the chamber to a conference on the subject to be attended by representatives of the New Zealand Advertisers’ Association, the Wellington Retailers’ Association and the Wellington Manufacturers' Association.

The advertisers’ association .sought the co-operation of the chamber in considering by-laws governing hoardings, its contention being that local-body regulations tended tot be too restrictive and expensive on those displaying signs, especially in Wellington.

Mr. J. H. Meyer declared that restrictions were too severe and charges too high, the cost including not only registration but also rent and supervision. It seemed that tlte time was coining when a new registration fee would have to be paid each year, and the control of hoardings would become simply a revenue-producing department of the local bodies. Reasonable control could not be objected to, but too much restriction was bad.

Mr. C. J. B. Norwood, the president, said that the old by-law seemed to allow some freedom, but a new by-law would in all probability be more restrictive. It might be well to let sleeping dogs lie, unless the council was intending to introduce a new by-law before long. Mr. A. R. Hislop said that by-laws seemed to restrict the reasonable freedom of business houses to use their own premises for signs and announcement of trade-marks, goods and names. Mr. .Meyer said that at present the question only affected Wellington. If a change were made in by-laws, however, the movement would probably spread throughout New Zealand. Captain S. Holm said that if the control extended all over the country the chamber should have more information before deciding its attitude. “1 would make a man pay a fine as well as a rent for putting hoardings on highways,” he said.

Three members were appointed to attend the conference and report back to the chamber so that it could determine its policy.