1666                                      Vetoes

April 17, 1957.
Hon. Louis L. Goldstein
President of the Senate
State House
Annapolis, Maryland

Dear Mr. President:

Senate Bill 530 would permit the Kent and Queen Anne's County
Boards of Education to display safety signs, "in any form or manner",
on or abutting any highway in school areas. The signs are authorized
to carry the name of the donor, "which would be, and, in practice
is a form of advertising.

Experience shows that serious traffic hazards ensue from placing
such signs in the center of or close to the side of our highways. Ve-
hicles are thus caused to swerve from their normal path either en-
dangering pedestrians along the side of the road or possibly veering
over the center of the road in the face of on-coming traffic. If such
signs were displayed only during the limited period of opening and
closing of schools, the problem might be minimized. However, the
State Roads Commission informs me that experience shows that such
signs have been placed on or near the highways in the early morning
and have been permitted to remain until long after the school closing.

Another, and controlling, objection to the bill is the authorization
of advertising within the limits of a State road right of way. I do
not believe the State should authorize, even under the guise of pro-
tecting school children, the display of an advertising message within
the State Road right of way. Furthermore, I understand that the
particular problem which resulted in this legislation is being adjusted
administratively. Consequently, aside from the fundamental objec-
tions to the legislation, there is no need for same.

I have, therefore, vetoed Senate Bill 530.

Sincerely,

(s) Theodore R. McKeldin,

Governor.
TRMcK/tk

Senate Bill No. 543—Incentive awards for State employees

AN ACT to add a new Article to the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1951 Edition and 1956 Supplement) said new Article to be known
as Article 64B of said Code and to be under the title "Classified
Service Employees Incentive Awards", and to follow immediately
after Article 64A thereof, providing generally for classified service
employees incentive awards.

April 15, 1957.
The Hon. Louis L. Goldstein
President of the Senate of Maryland
The State House
Annapolis, Maryland

Dear Senator Goldstein:

It is with considerable regret that I find it necessary to veto Senate
Bill 543 in the form in which it was passed by the 1957 Session of
the General Assembly.