Capping Magazine Before Tribunal

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32274, 17 April 1970, Page 22

Capping Magazine Before Tribunal

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, April 16. The Auckland University Students’ Association had tried to ensure that the material in the 1969 capping magazine was no worse than material available in other magazines freely on sale in shops, the Indecent Publications Tribunal was told today.

The president of the Student’s Association (Mr M. G. Law), was giving evidence be-! fore the tribunal on the capping magazine. The association is accused

of selling an indecent document, and the King Country Press and East Waikato Publishers of publishing an indecent document

Mr Law said in evidence that he had bought a number of books of similar price to the capping book in Auckland bookshops. He said that the covers of some of these magazines had suggested sexual deviation. Mr Law said that the association had sold 37,100 copies of the book in the northern half of the North Island.

The only direction given to the sellers was that they should sell the books in the main commerical and industrial areas.

Under cross-examination from the counsel for the prosecution (Mr R. C. Savage), Mr Law said that the association's executive gave

the co-editors editorial freedom, except that all material had to be submitted to a law yer before being published In presenting the case for the prosecution Mr Savage said that the case had involved a penal sanction, and the book had not been submitted merely for the question of getting a ruling, as in the case of “Masskerade”.