Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-21
In the Motor World
by q. ADAMS HOWARD.

selects as the standard that
which is followed by the greatest
number of municipalities and in
dorsed by the majority Of the
most experienced traffic engi-
neers." said Mr.. Stark.
Close on the heels Of the
launching Of a movement in
Maryland to ban from the States
highways the unsightly roadside
signboard, by the members of
seven garden clubs of the State
distributing pledge cards calling
upon motorists to refrain from
purchasing products advertised on
the landscape comes the news OF a
similar movement starting in Nor
folk, Va, and threatening to be-
come a State-w wide project through
its injection in the primary cleo
ton to be voted IN the Fall in that
section. I
While the Maryland garden
clubs, affiliated with the Garden
Clubs of America, ask vilcual
boycott of products Smeared all
over the rural countryside in ad-
vertised in the landscape" Nor
worded: las a practical protest
against the abuse Of our country
side by advertising, I shall give
special favor to products not ad-
vertiSed on the landscape, Nor
folk Garden Club members do not
ask a boycott, but do seek to get
assurance from motorists that
they will refrain, where possible,
from buying goods thus adver-
tiSed.
Stringent Regulation Is Sought.
Into the Fall primary, the Nor
folk Garden Club has inserted as
an issue which has gained some
prominence in the matter of more
stringent regulation of the road
side Signboard, and the fight is
waxing hot, in view Of the failure
at the last Legislature of a garden
club-SponSored measure calling
for about the same regulations
that the garden clubs now are
asking in Virginia.
The new bill, which Is being
given its baptism of fire in the
primary fight, would give the
State, counties and municipalities
wider latitude in permitting or
rejecting roadside advertising
matter.
Virginia's present roadside sign
board regulations call for permits
sion to erect from the owner of
the property, include some rules
about obStructing views at curves,
and prohibit the placing of sign
boards on the highway right Of
way.
Despite the many loopholes in
these regulations, some things al
ready have been done by the citi-
zenS of the Old Dominion toward
cleaning up the countryside and
providing unobStructed views of
the landscape from the newly de-
veloped motor roads throughout
the State.
All over the State the villages,
towns and cities have begun to
take an active interest in their
appearance, particularly the front
they display to the passing motor
tourist, and as a result some of
the eyesores of the countryside,
which used to line the highways
Of the State have been removed,
but still a great many others re-
main to be removed. The villages
are dressing up their tourist
thoroughfares, the towns are
cleaning up and planting along
their approach roads and the
cities are enliSting their citizens
IN movements to mage their habi-
taticn as attractive looking as DOS
Sible for the visiting motorist.
They are all finding that for a
small investment they can secure
results that not only rebound to
their merchants in the form Of
increased purchases and longer
visits, but also provide in their
citizens pride in their abode
that Is a necessary factor in the
up-and-coming American munich
pality.
Interesting to D. C. Motorist.
These movements in Maryland
and Virginia are of especial inter
est to the motoriSt Of the District
of Columbia, for the greater por-
ton Of the motor touring, the
week end driving and vacation
tours of the residents Of the Dis
trict is on the road systems of
Maryland and Virginia.
The avowed purpose of the gar
den clubs, composed mostly of
ublic-Spirited women, is first to
have the unsightly signboards
curbed and then to set about en-
couraging nature to heal the
gasheS which have been neceSSi-
tated by road building and main
tenance.
Their individual membership,
too small to engage in the actual
work of aiding nature, has set
about enlisting the aid of the
property owners along the high
way rights of way in their fight
for Identification. They are ask
ing that permission for the erec-
ton of signboards be withheld
and that the property owners seek
to maintain the natural beauty of
their property along the road.
The joint resolution now before
Congress to create United States
motorwayS commission is hailed
as an effective ally by the Amerl-
can Road Builders Association in
it's fight for betterment of traffic
conditions throughout the Nation.
The commission first would con-
slider the question of national
system of express motorwayS.
These would take care Of high
speed, through traffic. Propo-
nents of the express highways
would have lanes for fast traffic
in the center, slower traffic on the