Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1914-06-11
"Sign Board' Day.
Saturday, June Goth, Set For
Time of Tearing Down Signs.

| i llIlc vi Curling DONH oiSHS'
A law enacted in the interest of the
Maryland State Board of For estry and
entitled the Roadside Tree Law was
passed by the recent legislature.
Saturday, June Goth, has been desig-
mated by the State Board of Forestry as
Sign Board Day for the purpose OF
Statewide movement to tear down bill
boards, posters and unauthorized adver-
tsements that are within the right-of-
way of public roads in violation of the
new Roadside Tree Law. This is move
ment to beautify the roadsides and it is
hoped that on "Sign Board Day. there
may be general cleaning up from one
end of the State to the other. and then
through the Forest Wardens and others
having police power in the State it is in
tended to strictly enforce the law, which
makes it misdemeanor to place these
unauthorized signs along the public roads
or upon private property without first
securing written permission from the
owner.
The law confers power upon the State
Board of Forestry to plant and protect
trees along any public road in Maryland,
and "any person who in any manner
paints, puts or aftixes any advertisement,
sign, notice or other written or printed
matter, other than notices posted in pur-
suance of law, or on or to any stone,
tree, fence, stump, pole building or
other structure which is in or upon
public highway, or which is on the pro-
perty of another, without first obtaining
the written consent of such owner shall
be guilty of misdemeanor. The pen
atty for violating this law is a fine of not
more than ten dollars.
Roadside trees as designated in this
Act shall mean all trees planted by the
Forest Wardens, or existing trees three
inches or more in diameter measured
two feet from the ground that may be
growing within the right of way of any
public road or between the curb lines and
property lines of any street in an incor-
porated town in this State
The law provides that ''any persons or
persons who may desire to cut down or
trim any roadside tree shall make appli-
cation to the State Board of Forestry
for permit. Any person or persons
who shall cut down, trim, mutilate, or
in any manner injure any roadside tree,
except in an emergency as hereinafter
provided for without the permission of
the St tie Board of Forestry or it's duly
authorized representative, shall be guilty
of misdemeanor and upon conviction
shall be punishable by fine of not less
than five dollars or more than fifty
dollars for each offense, which fine shall
be payable to the State Board of Forestry
for the purposes described in this Act.
Provided that where trees are uprooted
or branches of trees broken in such man
ner that they shall come in contact with
telephone, telegraph, electric light or
other wires carrying electric current, or
where such trees or branches shall en-
danger persons or property, said trees or
branches of trees, as the case may be,
may be removed in such an emergency
without first obtaining a permit from the
State Board of Forestry, and no liability
shall lie against the person or persons 50
removing such trees or branches.
In letter from the Forester is sent
a large button which designates the
wearer as volunteer Warden" for Sign
Board Day, June Goth.
This law authorizes you to tear down
every billboard, poster, advertisement
and unauthorized notice within the right
of-way of any public road. Most public
roads are 80 feet wide. This, however,
is not safe guide, but in most cases
their is either fence or some property
line marking the limits of the roadway.
Where any such line exists it is safe to
tear down advertisements, etc, outside
of this property line and within the road
way. If there is no such line clearly
shown and a billboard or sign construct
ed at some expense is in question, ask
the property owner if it is on his land.
If it is not on his land tear it down. If
it is on his land, find out if he has given
permission to erect it and if he wants it
preserved. If he has not given permits
sion to erect the sign and consents to it
being torn down, this should be done at
once, because the law states that in ad-
dition to eliminating billboards and adj
vertisements from the public roads, that
it is misdemeanor to place them upon
private property without the written
permission of the owner thereof.
"Do not destroy sign boards erected
along the public road for the purpose of
showing direction, distance, speed limits,
or other notices relating specifically TO
travel along the roads, provided these
sign boards carry no advertising matter.
If they carry advertising matter, the
advertising portion should be eliminated
if it is not an original part of the sign,
but if it is part of the sign the whole
thing should be taken down."
More Dogs Poisoned.
Within the past ten days two more dogs