Vandalism of road signs costs the taxpayers of Utah large sums of money each year – and besides that, destruction or obscuring of signs creates dangerous hazards for the driving public. To give an idea of the extent of the sign destruction, the Department of Transportation budgeted $70,658 for fiscal 1977, calculating it would take 2425 man hours for installation of a projected 1212 signs. In the first eight months, 2298 man hours had been used to replace 1186 vandalized signs, indicating the budget will not be sufficien . It’s all very discouraging, say highway maintenance people, who grow weary of seeing expensive, badly-needed signs shot full of holes, stolen, or sprayed with paint. What’s the situation here in Central Utah? It isn’t good. District 6 of the highway department covers half a dozen counties -Juab, Utah, Wasatch, Duchesne, Uintah, and Daggett. In that area 850 man hours have been used in the first nine months of the fiscal year to handle 434 installations – a very sizable overrun since only 435 man hours were budgeted. And guess which county led the six: Utah County, the most populous, used 339 man hours for 252 installations. Other figures for the other five counties: Juab, 96 hours for 66 installations ; Wasatch, 115 hours for 33 installations; Duchesne, 20049; Uintah, 48-14; and Daggett, 52-20. Two of the worst spots for vandalism are the remote roads west of Utah Lake and through Cedar Valley. One good question: How is it that many persons, otherwise good citizens, tum wanton and thoughtless when nobody is watching? We advise such persons to consider these sample costs for signs before they yield to an urge to mutilate: 30-inch stop sign $29.67 ; winch Do Not Enter, $41.22 ; 36-inch Yield, $23.55 ; 24 by 30 Speed, $15.98 ; 30 by 30 Curve, $20.21, and so forth. Add many more dollars for telespar, wood, or U-posts and the cost of assembly and you get an idea of the amount of taxpayers’ money a careless or irresponsible person can use up in a matter of minutes. It’s time to redouble the effort to stamp out vandalism – of road signs and of all other public property, including highway rest stop facilities discussed in Monday’s editorial. ‘ Certainly we don’t have the answers but it would seem the first appeal should be to human decency plus sincere consideration of the problem in the homes. Close vigilance can also help by citizens who observe vandalism and by law enforcement people at all levels. Anyone with information that will contribute to arrest and conviction of guilty persons should not hesitate to contact the proper authorities. Let’s control vandalism for the good of all.