DISFIGURING THE COUNTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18722, 30 May 1924, Page 6

DISFIGURING THE COUNTRY.

Country residents as well as city tourists will applaud the action of the Counties Association and • the South Island Motor Union in moving to safeguard the outlook from. New Zealand highways from the obstruction and disfigurement of advertising hoardings. This glaring evil has not developed so far in' New Zealand as in some " other countries, but there are already evident to the traveller far, too many illustrations of the manner in which commercial publicity can be used to destroy the natural beauty of a landscape and to exasperate the feelings of wayfarers. A vigorous campaign has been conducted against these advertising displays in England, and under the leadership of the Society for Checking the Abuses of Public Advertising—better known by the more euphonious title of Scapa— movement has achieved almost triumphal success. ■ Suggestions were made • that sympathisers - with the movement should boycott ' every commodity advertised in this manner, but there was no need for this, drastic measure. The main contention has been generally conceded and not leafet significantly by all the companies distributing petrol. They were; publicly attacked as the worst offenders, and, to thek .credit be it

said, promptly announced their, decision to' withdraw' all roadside signs, running into many thousands. The movement has widespread activity in tHe) United States, Some .of the States have passed restrictive legislation, including authority' for officials to dismantle all signs and, unless claimed by their owners, to destroy them. Some regulation over advertising hoardings has • been established in the larger . towns of the Dominion, but there ate widespread abuses in country >. districts: It is to be hoped that rural authorities generally will adopt the suggestion of the Counties Association as promptly as the Raglan ; Council has done. . Nor may it be unreasonable to expect that some of the principal users of roadside advertising)' will forestall prohibitory regulations by action as graceful as that of the English petrol companies. ' f ;, v f g?,