Imports of Books

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25299, 26 September 1947, Page 6

Imports of Books

It will be regrettable if the Government decides to refuse or reduce licences to import books from the United States and Canada, if only because it will inevitably mean that with some publications that can well be spared from the stream of supply will go some more that cannot. It will be regrettable; but it will be a decision that will be accepted by all who support the aid-to-Britain programme and Mr Nash’s formula for determining the place of imports in it. But the danger is, of course, that the cuts will not stop there; and that the Government, on the theory of exporting the maximum and importing the minimum, will be tempted to reduce, or stop, the flow of books from the United Kingdom also. And that, with one proviso, is a temptation which should be resisted. If the British Government and British publishers wish to reserve a greater proportion of British books for export elsewhere, or if the available supply is reduced for other reasons, it will, of course, be New Zealand’s duty to take fewer. But if the books are there to be im-

ported, a policy which reduced imports would clearly be against the best interests of the country. New Zealand, of course, depends very largely on other countries for books .of every kind. But even if it proI duced many more books itself, the need to import would not be greatly lessened. If the Government recognises the truth of that, and the rea- ■ son for it, it will see, or ought to ■ see, that licences to import all the books that Britain is willing to sell and New Zealand to buy are issued. For present imports, compared with those of other commodities, can hardly be said to be excessive. Grouped with printed papers and music, they cost £434,647 in the four months ended in April, 1947. In the same period, New Zealand spent, for example, £613,445 on importing cigarettes and tobacco and £232,716 on wines and spirits. It must also be remembered that books are now much dearer than before the war, and to import at the same rate, by value, is in fact to import much less in quantity. It would now cost nearly twice as much to bring in the same quantity of British books, papers, and music as cost £430,000 in 1939. Restriction of book imports has always been among the most objectionable and dangerous of restrictive measures. If it is now decided, as it should be, to import as freely as the facts of the situation allow, the Government should have no difficulty in reaching an understanding with the booksellers that they would make the best possible use Of their licences to meet the country’s needs. It would be a fair stipulation that, if more is to be spent on books, it should be spent on good books and not on “ pulp ” reading.