Evening star., 1931-06-18
ANT|-S|GN GROUPS
). SEE LAW UPHELD
Confident Massachusetts Su'
preme Court Will Con-
firm Ruling.

Public interest groups which have
been following the three-year fight OF
the organized billboard industry to re-
strain the enforcement OF MasSachu-
setts' laws restricting ,outdoof adver-
tising are confident the State Supreme
Court will render favorable decision
upholding the validity OF these regula-
tions.
This confidence is based upon the
masters report in the famous Concord
billboard case, which has been hled
with the Supreme Court of Massa-
chusettS. Upholding the reasonable
ness of the regulations, the masters
report, anxiously awaited by both sides
in the controversy, goes far In support
ing many important facts which the
public interests desire to establish in
court
In this connection the report stresses
that the introduction Of billboards and
signs in neighborhood Of homes
''tends seriously to injure and depre-
ciate the value of property"
NIenaces to Safety.
It furthermore holds that billboards
and signs located at curves and inter-
sections divert the attention Of automo-
bile drivers and thus become menace
to safety through distraction even when
has long been prime contention OF the
American Automobile Association In its
fight for road safety.
The test case started from a chal-
1enge by the billboard interests Of the
conStitutionality of local bylaw re-
Stricting billboards in the historic town
of Concord, Mass. If the billboard peo-
pie fail to establish their case, 1t is
said, they propose to appeal to the
TNkG koEo
decision then would settle this question
for the entire country; for whatever
right to restrict b1lboards by police
power is confirmed to Concord under
the Federal Constitution would belong
to every town and city in the United
States.
With this at stake, % outdoor adver-
tising companies operating in MaSsa-
chusettS joined in actions to set aside
the State law of 1924 authorizing cities
and towns to further restrict outdoor
advertising by local ordinances. This
IS the last stand Of the organized indus
try in the State,
Exhaustive Survey Made.
The masters report in the Massa-
chusettS case, made at the direction Of
the court. contains findings on evidence
taken in these actions during the last
three years. It is. perhaps, the most
exhaustive and important study ever
made of the issues involved.
The findings hold that under the
circumstances q readjuStment Of
signs and billboards and locations Of
the same could be reasonably made by
all permitteeS to meet the requirements
OF the new rules and regulations"
In one OF the most significant ind
sngs the master states that beauty in
the sense intended and employed In
the framing and administration of said
rules and regulations has. in fact, a
real and substantial economic value to
the commonwealth and its citizens
This finding Sustains the commits
SionerS who constitute the Division of
Highways in their refusal to grant per-
mitS for the erection Of signs or bill
boards in locations along routes Of
travel traversing sections Of scenic
beauty, such, for instance, as the NO
hawk Trail, the Berkshire Trail and
the Northwest Boulevard.
The report agrees that signs and bill
boards when erected or maintained in
districts of a business character have
no depreciating effect upon property
values. but that Stn Sneighborhood Of
homes such commercial intrusionS =.
are offensive to the sight and obnoxious
to ordinary reasonable persons who may
own or occupy these homes. The in