RAILWAY HOARDINGS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 9 May 1925, Page 5

RAILWAY HOARDINGS

DEPARTMENT AND ADVERTISING (By Telegraph.—Special to The Mail.) CHRISTCHURCH, May 8 A letter from the Railway Department with reference to the Department’s use of hoardings for advertising purposes was received at a meeting of the executive of the South Island Motor Union. The. Minister of Railways wrote, as follows: —“With further reference to your letter of March 25th last regarding ihe. matter of advertising signs on rural roads with particular reference to the exhibition of such signs near railway crossings, I have to inform you that in so far as the advertising hoarding erected by the Railway Department arc concerned, lam unable to agree that they are an eyesore. On the contrary these hoardings are all well finished and kept in good repair and none of the advertising matter displayed thereon can reasonably he considered as offensive to the public taste. The Railway Department confines its activities in the way of advertising signs to its own property, and of course has no control over the display of hoardings erected alongside rural reads. As regards the erection of departmental hoardings near railway crossings every care ipi taken to safeguard the users of level crossings and I am unable to ascertain that any of them are so placed as to constitute a menace to users of crossings. The revenue derived from advertising is considerable ami this is quite legitimate revenue and I cannot therefore give any undertaking that the Railway Department will restrict its activities in this direction. Your union, however, can rest assured that whilst, the Railway Department is unable to sacrifice the income derivable from advertisements, the interests of those using the roads will not he lost, sight of:” Mr E. Egglestonc: “A question of £.s.d.” The chairman: ‘lit is pretty hard for us to get on to other people when the lailway people act like that.” Mr Johnston: “I would prevent any man from erecting an eyesore even on his own property.” Mr Egglestonc said that the hoardings affected the views of the surrounding country. Mr Johnston suggested bringing the matter under the notice of the Tourist Department. It way decided that the letter he. diacussed at the next annual conference, between the North and South Island Unions.