Minister Awaits Report On Australian’s Book

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28802, 24 January 1959, Page 12

Minister Awaits Report On Australian’s Book

(From Our Own Reporter)

WELLINGTON, January 23. The agents for Jon Cleary’s book, “You Can’t See Round Corners,’* have been invited to discuss further whether the book is indecent under the New Zealand Indecent Publications Act, the Secretary for Justice (Mr S. T. Barnett) said today. The Minister of Justice (Mr Mason), who had a glance through the book this morning, said that nothing about it had been sent to him by his departmental officers. He would consider no action until there was a firm recommendation from his department. Mr Barnett said that the notice sent to the Sydney publishers of the book, Horowitz Publications. Ltd., was “only an opinion.’’ The book was considered indecent within the meaning of the New Zealand act by departmental officers, but any final decision would naturally rest with the Courts, that is if a prosecution was initiated by the Minister after the book was brought into the country. Horowitz Publications, Ltd., has issued -a paper-back edition of Cleary’s book for circulation in New Zealand. The book was first published in 1948, when it earned its author second prize in the “Sydney Morning Herald’s’’ best Australian novel contest In its hard-back form it has been available throughout the country, and most libraries have it in stock. According to Mr S. D. L. Horo-

witz, distributors in New Zealand s bave now refused to handle the i book for fear of prosecution. > Mr Horowitz said that he would t ask Mr Mason if he intended to - stand by his departmental officer’s decision. If the Minister does, i. the flrm will sell the book itself In New Zealand and force the r question into Court i So far, the book has sold about t 150,000 copies in Australia, New 3 Zealand, Britain, the United States i. and France since it was released 1 in 1948.