Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-02-01
OFFENSIVE ADVERTISING.
The Outlook Comments on Governor
Murphy's Message,

Inc IOllOWluB comment on UnaJ part
of Governor Murphy's message relat-
ing to the signboard along the railroad
is taken from The Outlook of January
90:
"The suggestion in the second
annual message of Governor Murphy,
of New Jersey, to the Legislature of
that State, urging a concerted effort
to remove the advertising signs placed
along the lines of railway through
the State, is one which las the hearty
support of every citizen who cares for
the dignity and beauty of the land
scape. The Governor has caused an
enumeration to be made, and finds
that no less than sixteen hundred sign
boards of all kinds, 'disigured by all
sorts of effigies of impossible men and
women . and advertising RENE
dies for all the ills that human flesh
is heir to, as we'll as all sorts Of foods
and drinks, greet the passengers on
the railway trains as they pass
through different sections OF New
Jersey. The scores of thousands of
men and women who live in the New
Jersey towns and cities near New
York are compelled whenever they
come or go from the city, to pass a
long procession of monstrosities in
the way of advertising signs, and
vigorous condemnation is heard on all
sides. These sigDs are an outrage to
the travelling public, which finds itself
forced to read about remedies, articles
of food and wearing apparel, instead
of securing n clear view Of what is,
in many seasons of the year, a bit of
landscape of exceptional interest and
beauty. The journey from New York
to Philadelphia is made hideous by a
long procession of signs which seem
to move with the trains, many of
which are vulgar, all OF which are
Offensive; and the day is not distant
which Governor Murphy foresees,
when the passenger will pass through
a continuous unbroken lane of sign
boards that will trouble his nights
and days with suggestions of things
that are disagreeable. Governor
Murphy proposes to strike at this
abomination by levying o high tax.
If the State is to be used for advertis-
ing purposes and the public are to be
offended. somebody ought to pay for
the privilege; and the rate of payment
ought to be made so high that this
kind of advertising will cease to be
profitable for the proprietors OF patent
medicines, or the inventors of gigantic
elephants, monstrous cologne bottles,
and other things. Advertising by the
use of the billboard has been greatly
abused and good taste, sound morals,
and n proper regard for the education
of the people and for their feelings
will some day compel n rigid restric-
ton of this form of advertising. Some
forms of advertising are offensive, not
only in themselves, but because the
obtrude upon and destroy privacy
one of the most precious rights of the
individual, and one or which the
American citizen possesses least. II
is very much to be hoped that the
Legislature will follow the Governors
initiative and levy n prohibitory tax
on billboard advertising along tbs
railroads. In q Southern city certain
advertisements of q patent medicine
which are familiar to travellers in all
parts of the country, and which are
nnpardonaply vulgar, are torn down
as fast as they are put up, out of re-
spect to the women of the place. The
Outlook is opposed to mob law in all
forms, but this irregular action is Il c
expires slon of righteous Indignation.