the many, many Garden Club Members who are helping the 
National Committee and it is with deep appreciation of their 
faithfulness that she adds her "thank you" in the name of the 
Committee. 
Bill-board The President stated that Mrs. L. Dean Holden, Chairman 
Menace of the Bill-board Menace Committee, had planned to attend the 
Committee Annual Meeting and present her report, but at the last moment 
had suffered an accident which had prevented her attendance. 
The report of that committee, prepared by Mrs. Holden, was 
read by Mrs. Pratt, in the following form: 
Madame President, Members of the Board of Directors, 
Members of the Garden Clubs : 
A warning from Mrs. Sloan that brevity is necessary was 
probably timely, for the Bill-board Menace subject is so vast in 
its possibilities, the entire time of this meeting might be menaced 
as our beautiful highways are. 
In looking back over the year I have held this chairmanship 
it is very discouraging to note how little has been accomplished, 
that is in results the records of which may be filed away as 
finished, but it seems impossible as yet to do this work very 
definitely. Agitation has been our Avatchword and Legislation 
our goal. The first word we have followed by sending out to all 
Member Clubs, a letter in the form of a questionnaire ; this was 
done in November. I will not dwell upon the details here as 
the Club Members are doubtless familiar with that letter. As 
many of the clubs do not hold any winter meetings not many 
answers were received before this spring. It is somewhat gratify- 
ing to have heard from about one-third of the clubs — expressing 
their interest in this question and willingness to form committees 
to investigate local conditions and report them to us. The 
answers have been widely divergent as to views — some very en- 
couraging in outlook, others profoundly depressing. May I 
urge that all the clubs answer our letter giving us as many 
suggestions as possible. 
The second word and probably the real solution of the 
problem is to be reached by that slowest of all processes — the 
education of public opinion. It is distinctly encouraging to be 
informed that Massachusetts has declared it constitutional to 
restrict or exclude highway advertising under certain conditions, 
thus making it possible for Great Barrington to take the action 
it has recently of complete control of all objectionable bill- 
boards. On the other hand the report of the chairman of the 
Bill-board Menace Committee of "The Denver Garden Club" 
writes us Colorado has declared unconstitutional all restraint 
of roadside advertising, therefore the efforts of her club have 
proved of little avail beyond the probable good to be accom- 
plished from propaganda. 
340 
