Evening star., 1955-02-16
House judiciary
Hearing Airs
Billboard Fight
First Round Winner
Likely to Be Decided
By Group Today
By Gene Goodwin
Sfor Stoff ceryasuoudenf

ANNAPOLIS, Feb. 16.-The
House judiciary Committee was
expected today to decide the first
round winner in the 1855 version
of the roadside control fight
often called the battle between
the hillboards and the garden
clubs.
The committee listened to
about three hours Of testimony
on the controversial bill during
a hearing attended by about 200
persons here yesterday.
Lined up in favor of the meas
ure giving the State Roads Com
mission power to control the use
of land rs feet on both sides Of
more heavily travelled Maryland
highways were spokesmen for
the automobile associations and
the Federated Garden Clubs Of
Maryland.
Opposition to the bill was led
by spokesmen for billboard ad-
vertisers, farmers and motel
owners.
2 Democrats Speak.
Also speaking for the bill were
Delegates A. Gordon Boone,
Democrat, of Baltimore County,
and Jerome Robinson, Democrat,
of Baltimore City. who sponsored
the legislation last year before
the legislative council.
when we passed Maryland's
12-year roads program two years
ago. we called it 'Maryland's
PRIDE Mr.. Boone said. Lets
protect this pride" by passing a
roadside protection bill, he
added.
Mr.. Robinson said the bill
would not take away the prop
erty Of roadside landowners, but
would merely regulate what the
land could be used for.
Mrs. Kathryn j. Lawlor, for
mer Republican member of the
House from Montgomery Coun-
ty, who is now representing the.
Outdoor Advertising Association
of Maryland, argued that If the
State wants to regulate the use
of roadside land it should buy
1t.
She said she would challenge
the bill in court if it should pass
the Legislature.
Fears Highway Hypnosis"
She argued that billboards are
good because they keep motorists
awake. "These new superhigh-
ways we are building with moth
Ing but grass for miles on each
side brings on highway hypnosis"
Mrs. Lawlor said.
One of her cohorts, Scott s. |
Bair. Carroll County landowner. |
said this bill and other roadside
control bills offered in the Mary |
land General Assembly since
l947 are the work Of "a group of |
visionary dreamers.
Probably the most persuasive |
for the principle of |
roadside control came from Irv-
ing C. Root, of Chevy Chase, a
planner,
But he called the bill "ridicu-
Ious" because it provides for only |
q 75-foot setback. when. at least, |
200 feet are needed to regulate
All the present bill
would do, he said, is keep filling |
stations, stores, motels and tirat |
sort of thing IS feet back from |
The highway-nobody would be
deferred from putting up such |
establishments"
Raised Eyebrows.
Causing some raised eyebrows
among committee members, Mr.. !
Root declared:
1.-THE wealthy billboard boys |
have so consistently had their
way with the Maryland Legisla-
ture that the electorate, who are
interested in this bill will want |
to know, is it a sellout or a give
away?"
Washington I. Cleveland, Sec
retary Of the Suburban Maryland |
Club Of the American Automobile
Association, said under question:
ing that no other States now
have Statewide roadside control
laws. 1T is done on a county
basis elsewhere" he said.
One of the garden club rep
resentatives, Mrs. j. Cookman
Boyd, said her group had nothing
against business because after