Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-30
MARYLAND READY
TO REMOVE SIGNS
Maintenance Engineers Told
to Tear Down UnsightIy
Advertisements.

The first Statewide effort to clean
up the highways of Maryland through
removal Of illegal signs will be taken
during the next two days when the
maintenance engineers OF the State
Roads Commission, acting under au-
thority given in the new billboard law,
will remove all "snipe" or small signs.
Hundreds of small, unsightly adver-
tisements tackled on trees, fences and
other roadside structures are classified
as "snipe" signs and will be torn down
as maintenance engineers go over every
mile of State highway tomorrow and
Thursday.
Traffic PeriIs Watched.
Later the billboards that are danger
Gus to trafnc and those that have failed
to secure license will be removed.
During the next two days, however,
the engineers will concentrate on the
myriad small advertisements which,
when taken altogether, are largely re-
sponsible for the roadside ugliness that
became SO notorious in recent years
legislative action was necessary at the
last session of the General Assembly.
Detailed instructions covering the
work OF removing the "snipe" signs
have been given the engineers during
the past few days by Frank p. Scriv-
ener. maintenance engineer in charge
OF the administration and enforcement
Of the billboard law.
In accordance with these instructions.
engineers. accompanied by large trucks.
VIII travel over sections of State high
ways making two lists of signs, one Of
the, signs removed and the other Of the
signs left in position
Signs to Be Classified.
The latter classification will specify
whether or not the sign or billboard is
licensed, its location, size and other
data, and whether or not 1t is danger
Gus to tranic, in the opinion of the en-
gineers.
The signs torn down will be placed
IN the truck and hauled to a State
roads garage. Paper signs will be de-
stroyed,- but an effort will be made to
save the wooden and metal signs until
owners are officially notified that they
have been removed
Maintenance engineers of the Hyatts-
vile ONCE. who have charge of the Bal
timore pike, the Defense Highway. the
Colesville pike and other important
showed zest for their new assignment
when the task was explained to them
yesterday by Mr.. Schrivener.
The task will be carried out along
conservative lines. for the State Roads
Commission wants to give every one
ample opportunity to comply with the
law.
Engineers have been directed not to
remove any doubtful" sign-that is,
Such signs will be labeled doubtful"
in the list of signs left standing and
be given careful attention by Roads
Commission officials later
Armed with the lists of signs and
billboards compiled during the next
two days. the Roads Commission will
send official notices to both the owner
and advertiser of all unlicensed signs
that they must comply with the law or
the sign will be removed within
reasonable period"
To date only $500 signs have been
licensed in the State. More than twice
that number will be licensed before the
end of July, 1t Is estimated
In connection with the licensing of
signs, the question recently arose as to
how much shaving cream company
which specialiZes in advertisements on
series Of signs should pay. The COM
pany contended that under the New
Jersey sign law, which Is similar to
81 for each series. However, the Mary
land authorities ruled it would have to
pay for each individual sign, or $6.for
each series.
Licenses UP 70 $2OO.
Under the terms of the new law
which became effective June / all bill
board companies operating in Maryland
must obtain license ranging in cost
from $50 tn 1900 A. wear and in addi-
ton pay an annual tax Of one-half
cent per square foot.
MetafTags are issued with the licenses
and must be attached to the sign so
that the officials of the State Roads
Commission will know 1t Is authorized.
All signs which the commission
deems dangerous to traffic are subject
to removal. The terms of the new law
apply only to signs within 500 feet of
highway and do not affect incorpo-
rated towns.