HOARDINGS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18233, 18 November 1924, Page 8

HOARDINGS.

PROPOSED ABOLITION. CITY COUNCIL DISCUSSION. A proposal to abolish street hoardings eame before the City Council last night. Councillor Agar moved: —''That after December 31st, 1924. no renewals or fresh licenses be issued to erect or use hoardings for the purpose of advertising." Cr. Agar said the only benefit derivable to the city by the hoarding system was an annual revenue •of £203, and for that paltry sum the city was being disfigured in all directions. There would be plenty of opposition to any new hoardings, and the Council should define its policy now. Cr. J. W. Boanland, tvho seconded the motion, said he had always been opposed to the erection of hoardings in the city. It was a difficult matter to discriminate between hoardings. The suburbs certainly should bo protected against hoardings, but there might be some places in tho city that could do with hoardings.

Cr. A. W. Beaven said he was opposed to hoarding advertising, but it might not be fair to extinguish existing hoardings without notice. Cr. W. E. Leadley Baid he was opposed to tho abolition of the hoardings altogether. It did not follow that councillors who objected to tho proposed WooJaton hoarding objected also to all hoardings. There was never any danger of the Council authorising the erection of a hoarding in any district in defiance of local objections. He would move an amendment: "That in future all applications for the erection of ' new hoardings within the city shall not take effect until one month after the date on which such applications have been approved by the Council." If the Council did away with hoardings they would not do away with poster advertising. Cr. Agar: You should study tho bylaws.

Cr. E. H. Andrews said he was jealous for the beauty of the city, and the Council should not authorise promiscuously the introduction of hoardings into the suburbs, In the city proper it was different, for the hoardings there involved no disfigurement of natural beauties.. Shop signs and wall posters and bulletin boards were no more unbeautiful than advertising hoardings. If the hoardings were to go, then all the shop signs, bulletin boards, etc., should go. In no city in New Zealand was restraint placed on hoarding advertising. The Council would not be justified in abolishing the present hoardings. He would propose another amendment: ''That the Council is opposed to the erection of hoardings in residential areas, and recommends the By-Jaws Committee to exercise a strict supervision over hoardings already erected and in the granting of new hoardings." Cr. Leadley's amendment was not seconded, and Cr. Carr seconded Cr. Andrews's amendment. Cr. Carr said the hoarding industry was well established in the city, and it would be revolutionary and unjust to prevent those interested from carrying on that industry. Even if such were attempted, action would be taken against the Council." Ho believed the hoardings were quite eesthetie and would, ojfend no taste. They were both artistic and utilitarian. Cr. E. McCombs said it did not follow that because some hoardings were objectionable, all were. The hoardings at present served a very useful purpose. All hoardings, however, should be kept in a proper condition. It was not desirable that the whole advertising business in the city should ibe handed over to the newspapers. She doubted whether the Council had power to abolish the hoardings.

Cr. A. McKellar (Deputy-Mayo?) said there were certain hoardings in the city erected before the present bylaws were passed which the Council could not abolish, and if the by-law hoardings were abolished, then the others would remain as a monopoly.

Cr. A, Williams said the Council should take into consideration the matter, of prohibiting hoardings within a certain distance of a residential area,

At this stage Cr. W. H. Winsor seconded Cr, Leadley's amendment. He said thjjt all hoardings or trade signs should not be abolished in the suburbs, for injustice might thereby be caused. To grow hoardings on a section was as legitimate as to grow wheat or anything else. The Deputy-Mayor said that Cr. Leadley 's amendment would not be in order until Cr. Beanland's amendment had been disposed of.

Cr. J. K. Archer said that if the Council could not abolish the original hoardings, then Parliament could. The Council, however, had the right to grant or withhold licenses for hoardings. The proposal to refuse hoarding ■licenses did not mean the abolition of trade signs on business premises. Tho rent received by property-owners for the hoardings was very small. The residential area of Sydenham was cursed by the hoardings erected there. The two hoardings nearest his church contained six gigantic liquor advertisements.

, Cr. H. T. Armstrong: It's good stuff. Cr. Archer: I don't want the thousands of children round about to get the same idea that it's good stuff.

Cr. Archer said tho advertisements on hoardings could not bo overlooked, and when the advertisements were not desirable they exercised a bad influence on the younger people. Cr. F. K. Cooke said he had consistently voted against hoardings, but wa3 now inclined to change his vote, for the newspapers had too much of a monopoly in advertising. Cr. O. W. B. Anderson said he had consistently opposed the granting of new hoarding licenses, but Cr. Agar'g motion went too far. The nature of the advertisements displayed had nothing to do with the hoardings as hoardings.

Or. H. T. Armstrong said there would ba nothing gained by abolishing hoardings when the walls of business premises could still be used for painted signs advertising the goods dealt with at the premises. He agreed that it waa not desirable to havo liquor advertisements posted on hoardings near a. Sunday school, but the licenses were only panted from year to year, and She local people should havo objected. Cr. Archer said the Sunday school had not been in operation for a year. Cr. Armstrong said the Council had full _ control over tho hoardings, and possibly more supervision was required. Ho did not see that it would be necessary to abolish all the hoardings.

Cr. Agar, iu reply, eaid bis motion wa3 to give the local people th<? same right to object "o renewal of the license of an existing hoarding, as local residents possessed in resnect of projected hoardings. Cr. Andrews's amendment was put and lost by ten to five, tho" voting being :—-Ayes: Crg. Williams, Andrews, O. Anderson, Beavcn, and Carr. Noes: Crs. Bcanland, Agar, J. Anderson,

(Continued at foot of next cclcmm.)

Leadley, Winsor, Archer, McC'ombs, Armstrong, and McKellar. vj"- liCadley'6 amendment, altered to read, "that tho approval of any hoarding by the committeobe not confirmed by tho Council until the month after 0 -committee's report is received," was p«t and carried by 11 votes to torn- the minority being Crs. Williams .ocanland, Agar, and Archer.