TRAM ADVERTISING. CITY COUNCIL'S DECISION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1060, 24 February 1911, Page 6

TRAM ADVERTISING. CITY COUNCIL'S DECISION.

■ Advertising on tho city tramways was tho subject' of a motion and n discussion last evening at tho City Council. Councillor Hindmnrsli raoVcdi— That, considering that nearly ,£2OOO n year can be mado out ~ of .letting 1 spaces on and in tramcars for advertising, tho right to place neat and suitable advertisements in the cars bo sold or let, and that tho net profit riccru--'iug to tho council therefrom bo earmarked, as nil excess fund for improving the Town Belt or in forming recreation grounds. Tho' Mayor seconded tho motion. Ho said ho had been against tho'.proposal until lio had seen' how advertisements could be classified, and standardised,' and mado attractive. If tho city could, obtain revenue without disfiguring tho cars, why should they not ? • Tho council should bo ablo to censor any advertisements likely to offend public tasto. 110 did not think .£2OOO a year would be obtained for tho first year, but from the experience of Auckland,- ho believed it would grow to that in time. If half that sum wero obtained the first year.it would bo a very good return. , • It would be better-for people in cars to have advertisements to look at, said Councillor Frost, than to sit gazing * at euch other. In reply to a question, the Mayor said tho motion would merely affirm a principle, ' and would fix the council to nothing. Councillor I.uko said the advertisements on the old horso. trams wero an abomination, but ho could sec from what was! said that night that such v;ould not be the case under tho new conditions. Councillor ShirtclilTo had been opposed to advertising on tram cars,-largely-be-cause the.advertisements were a disfigurement. But if standardisation could bo effected,'and only « right class of advertisements accepted, it might improve tho nppcaranco of tho oars. They should be careful ,to . guard against disfigurement. Councillor Shirtcliffe- asked that thq word "on" bo-deleted from tho resolution,. becaiiso they should not liavo unsightly placards and boards affixed to tho outside of car.'. They should confine themselves io traders' announcements. Councillor' Thompson believed if whisky and similar advertisements wero to bo prohibited, ho could not seo exactly whci-o. they were going to get much revenuo. ■ ' Tho motion was nmcildcd by the deletion of all words nfter the word "let." This leaves' it open as to what object, tho proceeds are'to be devoted to. .In this form the motion was carried. / Speaking to a reporter at the conclusion', of'tho meeting, tho .Mayor said that tho council would call tenders for advertising. but it would hp for spaces inside the car only. Samples of advertisements would be, received from tenderent