BOOKS POLICY MODIFIED

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30393, 18 March 1964, Page 1

BOOKS POLICY MODIFIED

Tribunal Ruling Takes Effect

(From Our Own Reporter)

WELLINGTON, March 17.

The decision of the Indecent Publications Tribunal to admit James Baldwin’s book “Another Country” has had almost immediate effects on the policies and practices of several Government departments.

The Justice Department is not likely to put forward another book immediately for consideration by the tribunal. The next book for the tribunal’s perusal is now expected to come from another source although it was earlier stated that “Another Country” was one of a list intended to be put forward by the department.

The Customs department is now advising its port officers that “Another Country” is “clear,” and the working lists issued to officers will be amended accordingly. It is this list which is shown to booksellers, and which is sent to some public libraries. It is known that the Justice Department has no present intention of submitting “The Group,” by the American author, Mary McCarthy, to the tribunal.

To some extent, this decision may have been influenced by the tribunal’s finding. One source suggests that the Justice Department may appeal against the tribunal’s decision.

“It seems to me that what the tribunal has said is that if a book has literary merit, it should be permitted,” said a departmental officer today. “There is a qualifying phrase, of course, that the tribunal might take a

different view if the book were produced in a cheaper edition, with a provocative front cover.” “Went Further” A spokesman for the Customs Department said the decision of the tribunal went much further than merely “Another Country.” It also cleared up the position of the admissibility or otherwise of a number of subjects. The tribunal had ruled in favour of the admissibility of certain four-letter’ words. It also approved of the treatment of a theme of homosexuality. These and other points in the judgment must affect the Customs Department’s policy on other books. “We have had the judgment only since yesterday,” the spokesman said. “Our lists will be amended at once, of course, but other changes may take some time.” Asked whether the Customs list system might be dropped, the officer said that the lists of doubtful books were intended as a warning.

The Customs Department had the delicate task of deciding, ahead of any ruling, what books should be admitted and what books should be held. “If we had no. such policy, everything would be let in,” he said. “It is noted that in the decision on ‘Another Country,’ consideration was given to the fact that 1400 copies had already been let into New Zealand and sold. Would the verdict have been different if we had stopped these books from the outset?” “Purely Academic” On the question of whether a book, with a restrained cover and at a price of 265, was not basically the same as a cheap edition of the same book with a provocative cover, the Customs Department officer said: “My personal opinion is that this is purely academic. There is nothing now to prevent municipal libraries from stocking this book. “This would mean that any ratepayer could read it for nothing.”