ADVERTISING ON ROADS.

Matamata Record, Volume XVI, Issue 1442, 17 July 1933, Page 4

ADVERTISING ON ROADS.

FREE LETTER BOXES. ___ 4 Matamata County Objection. That it was illegal to advertise on roads was once again made clear following the attention of the Matamata County Council being drawn to the fact that an advertising war was now in progress. The engineer stated that it had come to his notice that certahV tobacco firms were offering to provide free letter boxes to farmers provided the farmer allowed an advertisement in connection with certain brands of tobacco to appear on the sides. It was illegal to advertise in such a manner on roads, and the council, together . with other councils, had fought this matter in the past. , i ' / If such advertising was allowed it meant that the countryside would be plastered with ugly signs and, more importantly, that owing to the number of statutory notices which it was now necessary to erect on the roads these would become less noticeable and therefore might lead to serious confusion.

It was also against the post office regulations, which set out that boxes were to be supplied by the department and must have the owners’ names plainly marked on the sides. If the practice was not nipped in the bud the next move might be to erect, say, free cream stands plastered with advertisements, and thus not adding to the beauty of the countryside. Comment by Councillors. Cr. J. Pohlen asked what action the council could take. The engineer stated the action was an offence against the law, and the person committing the offence was liable.

Cr. J. Bruce (mildly): It certainly adds to the appearance of the box.

Cr. E. D, White: Who is responsible, the farmer who gives permission or the person who puts the sign up ?

The engineer replied the person committing the offence was liable, though the farmer might be an innocent accomplice.

On the motion of Crs. J. W. Anderson and A. H. Stewart, it was decided to warn the tobacco firm in question it was committing a breach of the law.