Beautifying U.S. Highways

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30879, 12 October 1965, Page 2

Beautifying U.S. Highways

(Special Crspdt. N.Z.P.A.) WASHINGTON,

Oct. 11. When Jacqueline Kennedy entered the White House with her husband she began a project to beautify the executive mansion. She did a magnificent job. Lady Bird Johnson is going considerably further. She is determined to beautify America. There is nothing wrong with the beauty of the United States. Mrs Johnson’s idea is to eliminate the ugliness that man has created, including the thousands of billboards along the highways, and the many junkyards where piles of rusting cars lie. After working for about a year, Mrs Johnson, with her husband’s help, has secured the Highway Beauty Bill from the House of Representatives by the handsome margin of 245 votes to 138. There was much opposition to the bill among Conservative Republicans. The billboard lobby has been busy in Washington for a long time to try to keep that advertising medium financially healthy. The bill came before the House last week and might

have been “amended to death” if President Johnson had not taken advantage of an opportunity. He announced his visit to hospital for a gall bladder operation. Sympathy messages began to pour in from all over the world. A few hours before entering hospital he sent word to Congress that he would like the bill passed before he went to , hospital. > That did it. Angry cries r came from Republicans that the bill was being rushed ; through without proper con--1 sideration or proper debate. 5 This was because the Demot crats, anxious to comply with ; the wishes of an ailing Presi- > dent, used their majority to i limit debate on amendments. > There was a Presidential reception for Congressmen i and their wives that evening, r and the House galleries were 1 full of fashionably-dressed 1 wives waiting for the vote so - they could accompany their ; husbands to the reception. But the Republicans per--1 sisted with amendment after • amendment until early the • next morning, six hours be- ' fore the President’s operation, 1 the Democrats pushed the bill - to a vote by almost two to r one. The Republicans charge i that the bill will drive motels, t petrol stations and restaurants

out of business, damage the tourist industry in many states and deprive the motoring public of information that travellers need. Democrats deny this. The bill establishes effective controls over billboards on interstate and primary highways. The billboards stretch for miles on every side of every city and town. At times they are so thick the motorist does not see any of the countryside. But more depressing are the thousands of junkyards, each containing hundreds of disused and rusting cars. Year by year these yards increase in number and size. No-one has found a satisfactory way of disposing of the derelicts. Now, failure on the part of the states to control billboards could lead to a 20 per cent loss of Federal funds for highway construction. Junkyards, and in some cases all billboards, have to be removed by January 1, 1970. Owners may be compensated for their losses, 75 per cent payable by the Federal Government and the balance by the states.