Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-16
ROADSIDE ADS HIT
. BY VIRGINIA PASTOR.
Institute Speaker DEGREES
Both Religious and SeCu-
lar "UgIineSs."

I
gust 16.-vigorous protest against dis
figuring the countryside with advertis-
ing-including the religious advertising
which has been posted along Virginia
highways-was sounded before the In
stitute of Public Affairs here yesterday
by Rev. DR. w. A. r. Goodwin, who has
been in charge of the restoration work
at Williamsburg.
The State Highway Commission, he
said, prohibits disagreement of the
rights of way, but the glazing posters
are only moved a few feet back upon
private property. where they are just as
conspicuous.
ga There are certain types of ministers. "
he said, who would deplore the loss of
the pious chance to warn people to pre-
pare to meet thy God just at the en-
trance to an especially narrow bridge, or
the command to the travelling public
to believe or 60 to He'll And there are
equally aggressive statesmen who seize
the opportunity to use the vacant space
left below on the roadside rock to write
in flaming red letters beneath the warn
ing: Use our oil, 1t is good for burns"
Roadside Reveals Commercial Mind.
1.-The roadside today" Dr. Goodwin
continued, lis an amending witness to
the commercials indedneSS of the age
in which we live. A great deal of the
billboard advertising is put on by nom
local Industries which seek Nation
wide patronage The factories contribute
nothing directly to the financial benefit
of the community. The phesence OF
these advertisements decreases the value
Of the property nearby"
About two years ago, DR.. Goodwin
said, the State built four miles of road
between Williamsburg and jamestown,
crossing some of the most historic coun-
try in America. Already" he said,
'thiS road has been desecrated by the
erection of three hideous cheap houses,
one tourist camp, one sawmill, one
chicken farm, and a horrible looking
filling station. The National Govern
ment could not use this deSecrated road
as part of the national highway pro-
vided for in the Colonial monuments
bill"
Urges Shrubs to Hide Ugliness.
He urged that wide rights of way be
secured and that these be planted to
suitable shrubbery, such as crepe myrtle.
which remains in bloom for several
months and hides the uglinesS behind it.
He proposed paintings of dogwood and
mountain laurel along mountain roads.
DR.. Goodwin also appealed for more
diversity in rural architecture. ut is
evident" he said, that most home
builders are irnitators. They copy their
neighbors' houses OF they copy homes
from newspapers and magazines. Their
untutored minds usually are impressed
by houses that are made conspicuous
by many gables and lattice-work, all
of which are fiinlsy and ugly and con-
tribute to costly upkeep. These houses
are built in block style by local con-
tractors"
Church Held Potential Peace Factor.
The country church must be recruited
in intelligent participation in the
world peace movement" DR.. Rolvlx
Harlan of the University of Richmond
told the institute The organized OPP
position of the millions Of members. he
declared, will make it difhcult for
nation to embark on an unJustined
war.
"FIture wars" he said, will hasten
the trend away from democracy and
self-reliant citizenship as typically de-
veloped in rural life and make neces-
sary one of two forms of absolutism.
Another world war will bring about
either fascism, with its regimenting OF
all populations, including the land
owning farmer, or Sovietism, with the
dictatorship of the class which seizes
control and the autonomy OF indie
pendent, home-loving populations VIII
be gone, as in Russia.
war begets form of super-sociali-
Eation which destroys the fine values
of freedom and the voluntary system.
The farming class has always been the
first to be enslaved or made subservient.
The country church must help prevent
war to prevent the wholesale DONNA
ton of country people in the interest
of nationalistic abSolutism."
Rural Health Protection Decried.
Only about one-ffth Of the rural and
semi-urban population have adequate
health protection, DR.. Marvin T. Hay
good, public health officer OF Knoxville,
Tenn, told the institute. Patent
medicines and ignorant, superStitiouS
and filthy midwives are still In great
demand over large area OF this coun-
try" he said THE people, who have
not been brought to a full realization
0f the importance of their physical
well-being, are not willing to make the
necessary investments in private and
public health measures.
1T is not altogether lack of financial
ability that is responsible for the in
sufficiency of medical facilities and
service. The average American family
pays less to its doctor than 1t does for
drugs and patent medicines. From the
family budget the tobacconist gets $2.79
for each dollar paid the physician"
Poverty Hurts Country Church.
The country church not only suffers
from poverty, but there is professional
discrimination against rural ministers,
so that the ADLER ones are continually
trying to get to the city, DIR. Arthur w.
Hewitt of Plainfield, vt, told the coun-
try church round table. He insisted,
however, that the rural church has far
greater proportionate Importance to the
countryside than the city church to the
rify