RAILWAY HOARDINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19386, 22 July 1926, Page 8

RAILWAY HOARDINGS.

The formal pronouncement by the Railways Department of its views regarding the erection of advertising hoardings suggests that the general management is in sympathy with the protests that have been made against the mischievous activities of its advertising branch. That is the impression created by the statement presented to Parliament, but on closer examination that favourable conclusion has to be abandoned. The declaration that the department does not countenance the erection of hoardings f 'to the detriment, of scenic beauty spots" is obviously ridiculous. The department's servants have in many cases disfigured beauty spots by the erection of hoardings, and have answered all protests with the claim that the railways must be allowed to make money without considering others' feelings. In at least one t instance, the Boston Road reserve, the department's servants have replied to the City Council's protests at its first offence by erecting a larger, more conspicuous, and more objectionable hoarding to form a background for this beauty spot. What then is the value of the department's undertaking that representations by a local authority "will have very careful consideration 1 ?" By whom will they be considered 1 It will obviously bo a waste of time to appeal to the advertising branch of the department, which has shown its disregard of all but the mercenary aspect. Protests against particular hoardings will therefore be futile unless the final decision rests with some other authority. Why Bhould they not conform to the law as others have to do 1 Municipalities have power to forbid hoardf ings "visible from any street or public place," a condition that would bring all the objectionable railway hoardings under review. If the department is sincere in this matter, it will not only undertake to inform local authorities of its intentions, but also to abandon any proposals to which they object and to withdraw any recently-erected hoardings which they condemn.