Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-21

| billboard is completely Obvious TO the
| fact that while the motorist is reading
the sign his car may be hitting some
body or going off the read.
Distressing as conditions are, at times
some of the signboard situations are
really amusing. For instance, there is
2 board nailed to tree along a road
coming into Washington from the
/ South on which has been crudely let
/ tered Prepare to meet thy God" A
| few feet below it an ambitious advert's-
| ing sign reads: Long distance NOV
ing" One wonders whether the ex-
presSman intended to be facetious. In
another place one of the homemade
signs reads, Get ready for eternity"
and below it is another sign extolling
the merits Of a certain oil guaranteed
to give relief in cases of severe burn.
Billboards, big and little, organized
and individual however, are only one
phase of the roadside problem con-
fronting us. Gas filling stations pre-
sent another They need not, for at
tractively designed stations carefully
placed do not detract in any way from
the highway. 1t is the totally I'M
necessary number of stations and the
lack of attention in design and land
scaping that offends.
In some cases the stations themselves
are well enough designed, but their
atrocious color scheme shrieks to high
heaven. Again an unobtrusive station
is ruined by battery of signs placed
around it. And worst of all. some
times old buildings hardly more than
shacks, are utilized as filling stations
and their walls covered with signs of
all descriptions.
Wayside refreshment stands also are
a necessity, but here again some
thought should be given to the type of
building that may be permitted. as
well as the number. Only too often
they are ugly shacks, hastily thrown
together for Summer use.
The voluntary action several years
ago of the Standard Oil Co. of Cali
fornia in destroying its signboards
along the Pacific Coast, in which more
brought out two points which people
interested in roadside Identification in
other portions of the country should
ponder carefully. One was that 1t
showed that big business organizations
are not always the soulless things they
are painted. and that their co-opera-
ton often NAV be gained If the situa-
ton is presented to them in a dispas-
sionately effective way The other was
the effect on the public. Realization
of the good results obtained from the
such a favorable public reaction that
the business of the company increased
to such an extent that its officials con-
sidered it one of the best pieces Of
advertising they had ever done.
Essay Prizes Featured.
Later the interest aroused by this
action led the Standard Oil Co. to
sponsor four Scenic or Sign-ic?" con-
tests for the purpose Of arousing pub
lie opinion against the DETACHMENT of
Pacific Coast scenery. Prizes were
given for essays on how to eliminate
objectionable signs and on why they
should be removed, as well as for
slogans and photographs best depicting
actual DETACHMENT.
In connection with the above it IS
interesting to note that four big oil
companies operating in the locality of
Washington do not advertise by means
of billboards placed along the high
ways. These are. Cities Service, Texaco,
Sunoco, and Conoco.
Now to return to the citizen CO.
operation necessary to make a success
of roadside identification in the vicin-
ity of the National Capital in the short
space of a year. Perhaps the slogan
might be adopted: Every good citizen
a roadside beautician!
The best part of it is that citizen
cooperation in this really vital move
ment will involve comparatively little
personal effort. There are a number of
ways in which it may function to adj
vantage. Here are just few sugges-
tons which, if followed widely, will
make tide Of favorable public opinion
impossible to stem.
l. Adopt the plan of giving prefer
ence to commodities that are not adj
vertised along the roadside. To make
this action most effective, tell your
dealer why you are buying these pre-
ferred commodities. When a number
of people buy preferred products not
advertised on the landscape this fact
will gradually sink into the conscious
ness of the dealer and also of the
manufacturer, who will begin to real
ize the disadvantages of the wrong
kind of advertising. Perhaps this is
one of the most efficacious, yet simple,
methods of handling the situation.
2. Buy your oils and gasoline from
such filling stations as do not consti-
tute an eyesore. The use of small
stickers bearing the slogan IT buy nv
gas only from the good-looking station"
has been suggested. 1t, too. would be
weapon with a wallop. Even If the
sticker Is not used, passing by the lurid
orderly, well planned premises would
bring excellent results. In this con-
nection 1t is interesting and quite sig
nlflcant to note in a recent English
country magazine full-page advertise
ment OF an oil company showing a
lovely bit of English countryside, ac-
compani0d by a caption stating that
the particular company docs not ad-
vertise in places like this" It happens.
however. that the very same company is
one Of the worst offenders in this re-
spect on this side of the Atlantic, EVIL
IDENTIFY under the theory that Americans
VIII countenance dissertation of the
landscape which our British cousins
VIII not. This certainly seems to be a
case for the application of little public
pressure!
Food and Health Laws.
3. Reduce the number of hot-dog and
cheap refreshment stands by demand
ing enforcement of pure food and health
laws When the outside of place of
| refreshment bears a slovenly, ill-cared-
Tor appearance 1t is difficult to believe
| that more care is devoted to the prep
aration of the food inside Food con-
tamlnated through exposure or lack of
proper precautions to handling is a
decided menace to the public health.
| 4. Urge the planting Of trees and
shrubbery along the roadside right-of-
way, thus partially screening signs and
diminishing whatever efficiency they
might have as trade-getters. In some
cases this action will necessitate the
securing Of wider rights
| o. Approach hotel managers with the
| proposition that they show civic pride
and cooperation by giving up billboard
advertising. Several of Washington's
hotels already have agreed to do this.
and at least one in Baltimore. At this
writing arrangements are being made
TO get in touch with the local hotel
association in the hope that the idea