127 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
THE BILLBOARD CRUSADE 
Cincinnati Starts Energetic War on Defacing Billboards 
The Business Men’s Club of Cin- 
cinnati has put into operation what 
seems to be the most thorough and 
comprehensive campaign against the 
billboards yet begun in any American 
city. It is being pursued in a sys- 
tematic and businesslike way and the 
results are astonishing. Cincinnati 
built on steep hills, affords a rare op- 
portunity for the conspicuous placing 
of urgent invitations to partake of the 
leading whiskies and breakfast foods 
which have become nationally famous 
for obscuring the face of nature, and 
it was only necessary to call atten- 
tion to them to start a revolution. 
The methods of the club’s cam- 
Fourth — That a list of Til advertisers on 
billboards in Hamilton county be made and 
supplied by the Club to those asking- for it. 
Fifth — That our members be requested to 
write to these advertisers, asking them to 
refrain from such advertising. (See the 
work done by the North End Improvement 
Club, of Tacoma, Washington.) 
Sixth — That an investigation be immedi- 
ately set on foot to ascertain what bill- 
boards in Cincinati are now erected in vio- 
lation of existing law. It has been found 
elsewhere that in many cases boards have 
been put upon real estate without permis- 
sion, and these boards have in some cases 
been torn down without consultation with 
the billboard companies. (See “The Adver- 
tising Nuisance — The Law and How to Work 
It,” Massachusetts Civic League.) 
Seventh — That real estate owners be re- 
quested to co-operate with us in refusing 
the use of their property for such advertis- 
ing. 
Eighth — That a poster exhibition be held, 
BsOS'W. 
, 1 . 
HOW THE BILLBOARDS DO THEIR WORK IN CINCINNATI. 
1. The City Hospital struggling to be seen in the background. 2. A nice welcome to 
Cincinnati, overlooking the Grand Central Depot. 3. Some prospective work for the 
street cleaning department. 4. This one faces a new Carnegie Library seen at the 
right. 
paign are well given in the following 
report of its committee on Municipal 
Art: 
“We find that those who have had most 
experience in controlling obnoxious outdoor 
abvertising recommend four plans of ap- 
proaching this matter, namely: 
1. By the Police Powers of the State. 
2. By taxation. 
3. By prosecution for trespass. 
4. By boycoWing of the advertised articles. 
In order to make a concise report, your 
committee recommends: 
First — That we enter immediately upon a 
campaign of local education through the 
public press. 
Second — That we attempt to persuade the 
other cities of Ohio, through their suitable 
clubs and associations, to do similar and 
contemporaneous work. 
Third — That certain lecturers, notably Mr. 
J. Horace McFarland, president of the 
American Civic Association, of Harrisburg, 
Pa., and Mr. Henry Lewis Johnson, of Ros- 
lindale, Mass., who have given much study 
to this question, shall be employed to give 
public lectures in Cincinnati at the expense 
of the Business Men’s Club, showing lantern 
slides and explaining what can be done in 
this matter. 
to show such as insist upon using this class 
of advertising hoAv well posters can be 
made, and thus have them demand the best 
class of lithographic work. 
Ninth — That the local theatrical mana- 
gers and all of the lithographers and print- 
ers of thi.s class of work be asked to co- 
operate with us by using the best posters 
obtainable. 
Tenth — Th-t, following this campaign of 
education, local and state legislation be 
sought. This legislation might follow the 
legislation of other states, wherein it is 
made legal to license with taxation per 
square foot of board and fo limit the size 
of boards to not over 7 feet in height amd 
10 feet in length (the size mentioned in 
Cincinnati ordinance No. 610 providing for 
permits), with not les.s than 4 feet of space 
between adjacent boards; the bases of the 
boards not to be less than 2 feet 6 inches 
or more than 4 feet above ground level, and 
to stand not less than 15 feet back from 
property line. Such legislation should make 
it illegal to erect billboards on or facing 
upon any park or residence property (see 
Chicago ordinance). This kind of legisla- 
tion seems to be the most effective means 
of controlling this nuisance and is well 
worthy of consideration. 
As a minimum guess, there are about 
3,000,000 square feet of sign boards in Cin- 
cinnati, which, at the rate of 12- cents per 
square foot per annum (see New York State 
bill), would yield a revenue each year of 
$360,000.00, 60% of which would go to the 
treasury of the city and the remainder to 
the treasury of the state. The amount 
which would go to the city, $216,000.00, 
capitalized, would be 3% interest on $7,200,- 
000.00, which, applied to the park fund, 
would be of substantial benefit. 
From testimony taken in Chicago, one 
company alone had 1,800,000 square feet 
of billboards in that city. With the annual 
tax made 12 cents per square foot, the 
amount paid by this company alone would 
be $216,000.00, of which $129,600.00 would go 
into the city treasury and $86,400.00 into 
the state treasury. The city of Los Angeles 
has just put into effect an ordinance tax- 
ing billboards at the trifling rate of one 
cent per square foot, under which $54,000.00 
a year will be realized.” 
The committee had fifty photo- 
graphs of unsightly boards taken, 
printed on cards and mailed to prom- 
inent firms and individuals, and the 
following extracts from replies re- 
ceived, sent us by Mr. Murray Ship- 
ley, chairman of the committee, show 
what a cordial reception the work is 
receiving. The committee has started 
what it calls a Roll of Honor. This 
is headed by a declaration that bill- 
boards are not essential for advertis- 
ing, and, that, recognizing this fact 
and the further fact that they detract 
very much from the appearance of 
the city, the signers out of civic pride 
agree not to continue this kind of 
advertising after the expiration of 
their contracts. The roll bears the 
names of a number of large adver- 
tisers and prospectively a good man3f 
more, and Mr. Shipley writes that he 
is delighted to find how easy it is to 
get these signatures. Recently the 
managers of one of the largest estates 
in the city came to him saying that 
they had been reflecting on this mat- 
ter and would recommend to the es- 
tate that hereafter it should refuse 
to allow billboard men to erect 
boards on its many vacant lots. He 
is firmly convinced that a great many 
citizens have a strong civic pride and 
it needs only to be appealed to to 
meet with a hearty response. 
A few extracts from the letters 
mentioned follow: 
From the superintendent of the city’s 
street cleaning department: “There is hard- 
ly any one thing which does as much to 
litter the streets as billboard advertising. 
Your card shows a board which is almost 
stripped of its advertising matter and some 
of the rest of it is ready to blow off. What 
is gone ha.s blown around the streets, lit- 
tering them, and what is left will soon do 
so. It is not only these discarded billboards 
which litter the streets, but the billposters 
themselves, when changing signs, are very 
apt to tear off old signs and throw the pa- 
per in the street. I am not only in favor 
of your campaign from an artistic .stand- 
point, but from the standpoint of the Street 
Cleaning Department.’’ 
