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Show WOULD PRESERVE HIGHVVAYBEAUTY Nevada Will Not Permit Erection of Billboard, ' Sign or Notice. While state, county and local laws governing advertising signs on' the highways are designed. In most states, to afford protection to motorists, only In Nevada do they also attempt to preserve the scenic beauty of the roads. This as disclosed by a survey sur-vey of such laws recently by the bureau bu-reau of public roads of the United States Department of Agriculture. No Permit for Signs. In Nevada no permit la granted for the erection of any billboard, sign or other form of notice on any location which may meamirnlrly destroy the natural beauty of the scenery or obscure ob-scure a view of the road ahead or of curves and grades or Intersection highways or railroads. While the majority ma-jority of states restrict the placing of signs within certain distances of curves, grades or intersections of highways high-ways or railroads, Nevada Is the only state of the 48 to restrict the placing of signs where they will spoil the beauty of the scenery along the highways. high-ways. "It Is unfair to tie motoring public that the very Industries which depend upon the highwa; i for their whole business should be the worst offenders offend-ers in erecting and maintaining thousands thou-sands of glaring, disfiguring signs along our streets and roadways," Thomas H. HacDonald, chief of the bureau of public roads, recently de- tclared. " The most offensive of these shriek at the traveler who Is In hopeful search of the beauty of the countryside country-side and a restful, uplifting change from city streets. They shriek at him to buy gas and oil, automobiles, grease and tires. The tourist Is most frequently fre-quently enticed to stop at second-rate hotels," he continued. It Is to the credit of many of the producers of the best products that their wares are not advertised In this way, he pointed out, and to certain oil companies and others who have withdrawn from this practice. Other Offenders. "The billboard advertisers are not the only offenders against the highways," high-ways," Mr. MacDonaid stated. "Nine out of every ten of the roadside fill- ing stations and lunch stands merit the condemnation rather than the patronage patron-age of the passerby. "These Conditions will not be cured by scolding. The larger companies will abandon these Invasions of the rights of the public, some through an awakened conscience, others through necessity, because this fight for clean rondsides Is Just starting. "A number of the state highway departments de-partments have made splendid progress, prog-ress, and some notable legislation has been made effective. One of the best of such laws Is that of Connecticut which licenses ell roadside filling stations, sta-tions, requires the location and arrangement ar-rangement to be approved, and keeps this business off the right nf way." |
