TAX ON DEBENTURES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20076, 12 October 1920, Page 5

TAX ON DEBENTURES.

COUNCIL DISCUSSES iESTIIETII POINTS. Permission to erect a hoarding In the city was granted by tho City Council last night after a sharp little discussion tli at revolved round the aesthetic value of hoardings. The By-laws Committee reported that Chandler and Go. had applied for per. ! mission to erect a hoarding in Worces- | tor Street, near Manchester Street. Tht hoarding would bo about fifty feet lone by about twelve feet six inches high ' As the Board of Trade had granted I Chandler and Co. permission to receive | building materials through their usual | sources of supply, the committee recommended that the request should be acceded to. Councillor J. W. Beanland, in moving that toe report should be referred back to tho committee, said that ht " ould_ not oppose the hoarding if the 9 material was unsuitable for building, i but tho material was suitable. Tin I boarding stage had got to such a state I 'hat something further should be done, a and ho failed to see why every vacani | section should bo covered with unbeau tiful, hoardings. Later he would move to prohibit hoardings altogether, but for tho present every bit of material was necessary to house building, aparl altogether from the labour. Councillor 0. P. Agar, in seconding tho motion, said that the chairman oi the Board of Trade had told him that j tho permission of the board in no wav i interfered with tho City Council’s de- | cision in tho matter, and had onL been granted in tho belief that Australian hardwood and birch were not used in houses. Apart from shortage of material and labour, however, hoardings were an eyesore and nuisance, and tiie council should not allow the city to become a glorified poster show. Councillor A. M’Keliar said that anyone who had travelled would recognise that hoardings were common, and when the advertisements were properly regulated he saw no objection to them, and while he bad no love for hoardings he preferred them : to a vacant section or ugly fence. Councillor D. G. Sullivan said that hoardings were an abomination and a desecration of the city. If the right j was granted to one it would have to bo granted to others. Ho was utterly opposed to them, and they served no useful purposes. _ “What about the trams?” asked the Mayor. “ I would remove them there,” said Councillor Sullivan. Councillor H. T. Armstrong said that C the Board of Trade was a joke, and I only occupied a dummy position. All I material saved in hoardings would | not put up another cottage, and ns long | as the council exercised control it could | not go far wrong He preferred reguSlated hoardings to “Rafferty’s rules’’ ” on fences and other places. Councillor H. Hunter said he would like to see advertising abolished, even ou trams, but if hoardings- were to be " countenanced it Would bo better to’regulate them. i Councillor A. Williams said that he | would abolish all hoardings, but at pre- | sent the existing permits might bo conI turned. R Councillor E. E. Langley protested | against the strangulation of a “ baby | industry—the poster artist.” I Councillor 0. S. Harper said that I hoardings were artistic and necessary | and it was ridiculous to try to stop | them. It would be as reasonable to | try to prohibit advertising in newsI papers^ | Councillor F. R. Cooke said that ho | objected to tho suggestion that poster I advertising or flashlight advertisements I bad an educative influence. Ho supi ported Councillor Beanland. 9 Councillor J. A. Blusher said that I hoardings were a source of income to I poor School of Art students. The | council had a by-law which contemplat--9 cd tiro of hoardings, which I were a source of revenue. He -saw H no reason to refuse the permit, i Mr Beanland’s amendment was deI foated by 11 votes to 6. and tho report I was adopted.