TAINTED LITERATURE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 234, 30 September 1908, Page 4

TAINTED LITERATURE.

The attempt that is now being made in the South Island to suppress the sale aud prevent the circulation of immoral literature deserves ihe sympathy and supi port of all right-minded- people through- , 1 out the country. For no one who is in , I the least familiar with contemporary | English and American fiction could consci- ■ entiously deny the need ror some such , I restriction. At one time English novels : I could fairly be divided into two classes ■ ' separated from each other by a very clear ' . distinction. By far the largest propor- > tion of our fiction within the memory of ■ j the present generation was absolutely un- > j exceptionable in moral tone; and tbe very . i small percentage of deliberately sugges- > live or indecent books made very little 1 i attempt to conceal their true character. c J But the state of things is very different

to-day. Partly through the influence of Continental literature, partly as a result of the general relaxation of national tastes and habits, English fiction cbji no longer claim any high standard, of purity. And the worst feature of this deterioration is that it has extended to the very highest levels of the literary and art. ivlany of the popular novels of the day which, if they were cruder and less polished and less artistic, would be promptly snppressed, are tolerated because their failings are supposed to be redeemed by the reputation of their authors or the skill of their workmanship. No doubt as literary compositions many of the class of books to which we refer attain a high level of excellence. But though this makes the task of censorship the harder it should not blind us to the evil latent in them. We are glad to know that in several of our largest towns the public and circulating libraries have refused to stock such books, and we hope that the bookselling trade, now that attention is being forcibly called to this important question, will co-operate with the libraries in the ca-use of public morality. We have no desire to preach an intolerantly puritanical view of life and literature. But it is beyond question that fiction of this highly suggestive and insinuatingly immoral type exercises a most pernicious influence, more especially upon young readers, and that, if allowed to work its way unchecked, it I would speedily undermine, the very foun- ■ dations of social life and moral conduct. A heavy responsibility is thrown upon j all who provide such literature as this ' for public consumption, and we trust that i they will not continue to ignore it. The following is Captain Edwin's . weather forecast for 24 hours from 9