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Show SIGNBOARDS ARE VERYJJNSIGHTLY Industri! Depending on Highways for Business Worst Offenders. (Prepared by the Untied Sin tea Department , of Agriculture.) In a canvass of advertising signs on tbe highways, the bureau ef public pub-lic roads of tbe United States Department Depart-ment of Agriculture found thut the automobile Industry and those Industries Indus-tries which serve It are tbe worst offenders. of-fenders. Their signs carry advertisements advertise-ments for cars, tires, oils and other accessories. Hotels and restaurants, the bureau says, probably rank second In the amount of advertising done along the highways. Thomas U. MocDonald, chief of the bureau, in a recent statement declared: de-clared: "There Is little of fairness to the public In the fact that the Industries Indus-tries which depend upon the highways for their whole business should be (he worst offenders In erecting and maintaining thousands of glaring, disfiguring dis-figuring signs along our streets and roadways." He also pointed out that many of the producers of the best products do not advertise In this way. Distract Driver's Attention. "These signs," says Mr. MacDonald, "are concentrated on the main traveled trav-eled highways and are habitunlly placed at turns In the road where the motorists should be giving most careful care-ful attention to driving. In many Instances In-stances they cut off the view of approaching ap-proaching cars at curves and at road intersections. Some even Cut off the sight of approaching trains at unprotected unpro-tected grade crossings. Those which carry the word 'stop' and other words ordinarily employed on the legitimate warning signs weuken the force of the properly placed cautionary slgnuls." The bureau found that signs tend to multiply on poor or Inferior real estate or other property along the road;thnt frequently abandoned sheds or barns near the roadside are covered cov-ered with unsightly advertising; and that lowlands along small streams over which highways run are popular positions for large billboards. The unslghtllness of the tin signs hung on wire fences or attached to tree trunks was very noticeable to the Investigators. Many such signs have been completely washed out by the weather, yet remain to disfigure the landscape. Danger Signals Obscured. The effectiveness of the standard numeral signs nnd direction and danger dan-ger signals on the principal transcontinental trans-continental highways, which have contributed Immeasurably to the convenience con-venience and saf ty of travel. Is hindered hin-dered In man? nstances, suys the bu- reuii. by advertising signs which are so placed as to obscure them or withdraw with-draw attention from them. In many cases such advertisements are a positive posi-tive hindrance and , menace to the traveling public, especially when they contain misleading Information about distances and the condition of the road ahead, which Is belled In less obtrusive fashion by the public signs. In his Inst annual report Mr. Mac-Donald Mac-Donald stated: "In practically all cases these roadside advertisements merely repent In the same form appeals ap-peals that are made quite properly and Insistently throuch other agencies. agen-cies. Thf y are nnneeded by the pub-lit pub-lit and are of doubtful value to the advertisers. It Is hoped thut means may be found by suitable legislation to effect their complete elimination upon all roads constructed In part with money appropriated by the national na-tional government" |