CENSORSHIP OF BOOKS.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19805, 18 December 1929, Page 5

CENSORSHIP OF BOOKS.

A LABOUR REQUEST. (rsBSS tSSOCIATIOK TK.BGBAM.) WELLINGTON, December 17. The release of Griffin and Murphy, who are in gaol on a three months' sentence for having in their possession literature held to be contrary to the War Regulations Continuance Act, was one of the requests of a deputation from the Alliance of Labour to the Hon. Mr Forbes, Acting-Prime Minister, and the Hon. Mr Sidey. Minister for Justice. The deputation also asked for the repeal of the War Regulations Continuance Act, and if the Board of Censorship was to be continued, for representation of the Labour movement upon that Board. Speakers said that the country was full of indecent literature prejudicial to the morals of the community, yet books which wf>re r>f particular interest to students of economics and politics were banned. The sentence imposed bv Mr Page was claimed to be a vicious sentence. Mr Forbes, in the course of his answer, said that he had not studied the question to know whether the Board required bringing up to date or not. He would be pleased to go into the requests with the Minister for Justice and see if the censorship cmild not be put on a eommonsense basis, if. as they had said, a number of bookfi were being banned that could not be brought within the category of being dirct incitement to violence. He took it that was what the law aimed at. The feeling in most countries was that that sort of literature was not conducive to good government. With regard to the release ot the prisoners so that thev could spend Christmas outside the gaol. Mr Forbes pointed out that dealing with the sentence of a Magistrate was a very'sen. owe matter. "But we will go into tb? question." he said, 'and let you know in a day or two."