Restrictions on Reading Matter

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28554, 7 April 1958, Page 10

Restrictions on Reading Matter

Overseas periodicals, as well asbooks, are to suffer in the regime of restricted imports.' In a circular drawing attention to this the Associated Booksellers of New Zealand say that booksellers would. have four; copies of each publication to, sell where they had 10 before i Booksellers would be compelled to ration severely and even to cancel subscriptions of! many years' standing to magazines and periodicals. The booksellers’ association is naturally concerned about the livelihood of its members: for many of those small businesses magnsinos and periodicals are a staple line. What will be the effect on the-public? With the turnover of periodicals and inagatlUM reduced by more

than half, booksellers might be < .'excused for concentrating onthose that give them the biggest margins of profit and meet with < She most ready sale. Much of. • the better type of periodical.’ literature might thus be lost to.i j readers in New Zealand, The - >|loss would then be not merely/ t entertainment but ideas. The/ ■best periodical literature stimu- 1 I hates thought on all kinds off] (Isubjects, from fashions and ; •! home-decorating to national : Hand international affairs. The, value of this entertaining and; ■ i instructive reading should be ' ' balanced against the relatively/ y small saving of overseas funds, h ! It is to be hoped that the Gov- j t ernment will have second and ; wiser thoughts about restricting;' I the imports of periodicals and f magazines, and of books. I,