THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 
Published Quarterly by the 
ILLINOIS AUDUBON SOCIETY 
Roosevelt Road and Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IIl., 60605 
Number 133 March 1965 
THE PRESIDENT'S PAGE: 
By Raymond Mostek 
In several publications, and at several podiums, I have often declared that 
cleaning up roadside blight is ‘“‘the conservationist’s last frontier.’”? The Amer- 
ican conservation movement has so long concerned itself with preservation 
of wildlife, conservation of habitat, and water pollution abatement, that it 
has left the struggle for cleaner, greener roadsides to some future genera- 
tion. It now appears that generation has at last arrived on the scene and 
is ready to do battle with the forces of ugliness, drabness, and over-com- 
mercialization. Victory is attainable. 
I have often said that no country in the world has highways more 
dingy and hideous than this, the most affluent nation history has ever 
known. Mexico has banned all billboards; those now in existence must be 
taken down. Italy has zoned its historical monuments so that no signs deface 
immediate areas. Hawaii has banned highway billboards since 1927. One 
ean wander over the delightful roads of Switzerland, Germany, Denmark 
and England and never be affronted by highway advertising. The French- 
built highways of a “backward”? country like Morocco are far more en- 
chanting than American roads because they are not profaned by signboards. 
Each time I travel to Springfield on Route 66, I see less and less of the 
Illinois prairie country because more and more signboards appear to hide 
the view. Yet this is one of the most traveled roads in the Middle West. 
It is not one to make us proud. 
However, it is encouraging to find green spots on the scene: The 
Chicago Motor Club, long silent on the matter of roadside blight, has an- 
nounced it will support highway billboard control bill in the 1965 Illinois 
General Assembly. Governor’ Otto Kerner has called for steps to end 
“visual pollution” on Illinois highways. He has asked for billboard control 
legislation, and further, he has notified the legislature of his support for 
bills to provide for screening of junkyards along Illinois highways. Both 
laws are long overdue. 
According to Senator Maurine Neuberger of Oregon, almost 20 states 
have now established controls for highway advertising: Connecticut, Dela- 
ware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Nebraska, New York, North 
Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West 
Virginia, and Wisconsin. 
Almost every one of these states has a vigorous ‘“‘roadside council” com- 
posed of many state conservation and civic groups. Illinois has none, a sad 
commentary once again on the apathy of [Illinois citizens. The Garden 
Clubs of Illinois have on several occasions tried to obtain support for high- 
way billboard controls, but lacking co-ordination and numerous allies for 
