Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1925-11-11
ROADS OF SIGNS
All Advertising Signs and
Billboards on County and
State Highways Being Re-
moved.

C60u1nS rapidly, III accordance WITH
the new law passed at the last ses-
sion of the legislature, according
to John Donaghey, state highway
engineers. By the provisions Of
the legislature the county highway
commissioners are held directly re-
sponsible for the early removal of
all signs from within the limits of
any public street or highway ex-
cept such as are necessary for the
guidance or warning of travel"
This statute was effective June 80,
1925, but the deadline in the var
ious counties is purely a local mat
ter.
State Regulations
The new law further provides
that the state highway commission
be empowered to prescribe the reg
ulations regarding the erection of
all signs, Of whatever nature, on
the public highways. The highway
commission will see to it that no
advertising sign displays words or
combinations of words ordinarily
used for the guidance of traffic.
The erection of signs in such place
and manner as to be dangerous to
highway traffic is also forbidden.
The new law is a elimination of
action begun several years ago by
the Milwaukee county highway
commission in cooperation with
many of the large advertisers. The
latter agreed to remove from Mil
waukee county roads all big bill
boards. Soon after this initial ac-
ton, a state law was enacted that
forbade the erection of any sign
within 1000 feet of road intersec-
ton except those for the warning
of travel.
An aroused public opinion, inter-
ested in eliminating as far as pos
sib!e many Of the serious auto ac-
cidents, had much to do with the
passage of this statute. Signs at
dangerous crossings and sharp
curves have been responsible for
numerous accidents on Badger
highways. Obstructing the motor
lists vision, detracting his atten-
ton from the control of his car,
and the motorists inability to dis
tinguish between real warning
signs and those stop signs used by
advertisers have had a dangerous
tendency toward reducing the al
ready too greatly minimized eau
ton Of drivers.
No Protests
1t was expected that many adj
vertisers would complain at having
to remove their signs, but the bet
ter class of advertisers realized
that by resisting the law and MAX
ing judicial fight of the issue
they would be crossing public opin-
ion. Incurring the enmity of the
public is the last thing wanted by
advertisers. Active in lobbying for
the law were the Federated Wo-
mems clubs of Wisconsin and the
Friends of Our Native Landscape.
The women threatened to boycott
the products of those advertisers
persisting in their opposition to
the law.
Of the II counties in the state,
20 have aready started to enforce
the law. Since the counties and the
local government units are held re-
sponsible for the removal of the
signs they will also be expected to
bear what expense there may be.
The highway commissioners have
instructed their deputies to pre-
serve signs obviously valuable. The
owners will be allowed a reasonable
time to remove their property.
Signs Of no value will be summarily
destroyed if not removed within
the deadiine. Advertisers failing
to remove their signs before the
specified dates viii be subject to a
fine of not less than $40 or more
than $500.
Some Escape Law.
In many cases signs erected in
farmers fields and not on the pub
lie right of way will also be re-
moved if such signs are deemed
dangerous to traffic. Many adver-
tisers are evading the law by
putting their signs 300 feet back
from the roadway, but placing
signs so far from the roadway robs
the advertisement of much of it's
value. 1t is confidently expected
that by the next touring season
Wisconsin will be practically free
Of all roadside advertising signs.