The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-05-11
!, AZ Y Gel IaIghwsy Marksrs

= + FL =
As to the Highway Markers
10 the Editor Of The Age-f7eraId
4 notice with much regret not only mn
mercus attacks upon the State Highway "A.
vertising Company In your PEOPLES f,ol,,mn
but very severe critieism Ill your editor;si
column, Surely you hhy& not inyesfisate,l
this subject thoroughly. eisssI belieye r.,,,r
fairness and sense Of jnstlse would change
your viewpoint 7'sTt -
The State Highway CoRnission was Or.
ganized for the purpose IA buiIding highways
tnIousn me several counties, to the principal
seats OF population. Many millions are Is.
ing expended on these roads and an irnpor.
tant part Of every public highway is the sign
that tells the traveller which road to take At
the intersections, and how far he is from the
several towns and cities along his route ~
THESE signs there Is a woefuI Iacl, ali o,er
the state 1t is uncomfortable that tbs stata
would build the roads and then leave tbs
traveller to find his route BY INQUIRY Of the
settlers IN the good old way. Signs, the sim
plest' COST money, and it costs a good deal
more money TO keep them in order for while
scivnization has advanced in road buiIsling
education seems to make ~ 'progress ~ r,at'
ing out strange propensity Of youth to make
the public eignboard a target for rocks and
bullets. X the highway commission could
get this work done without expense and A.
the same time substitute for the unsjehtIv
and nearly always mutilated signboard. an
ornamental marker kept pefpetually in GOOD
repair. why not!
Now that Is precisely what the highway
commission did do in its contract with The
state Highway Advertising Company 1t did
naore--it made out of its duty to furnish
information to the public an actual source
Of revenue, for the advertising company not
only instalis and maintains the markers. but
pays into the state treasury a part of its
gross receipts amounting in many instances
to as much as ten per cent, and this income
goes on from year to year. From what will
the income Of the company and the state be
derived? From the privilege given the com
pany to place advertising on the marker, and
from the privilege OF placing advertising bill
boards at intervals along the, road That
these shall not be unsishtly, indeed, shall be
pleasing to the eyes, is a carefully imposed
and guarded duty by the terms Of the con-
tract
These signs or markers are as much pub
lie utility as the, street car or railroad, or
the telephone pole, and it ID inst as fair and
right for the state to sell a franchise to one
as the other. OF course, we can do without
the markers on the highwags just as for
many centuries we got along without the un-
slightly telephone and telegraph pole. And
no other public utility whatever pays to the
state any such per cent. Of its gross income
as the Highway Advertising Company.
While the Highway Advertising Company
has the privilege of installing billboatds. it
has not been its policy to do 70. On the con
trary, ii has instructed its statesmen to dis
continue the sale OF billboards, which are
qnite as Objectionable to me and my asso-
ciates as they are offensive to the general
public. hut it is quite different with the
highway markers They are Of uniform size
and height. gracefully set, and Of pleasing
shape, carrying at the top the number of the
highway and the mileage clearly printed
thereon. while the base of the sign carries
an advertisement which cOBmends itself to
the eye on account, of its comeliness. The
wonder is that allthe counties do not follow
the state and make similar profitable pro-
vision for markers along the county roads.
TONIC. SMITH.