Concern expressed at ‘indecent’ mail

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33446, 30 January 1974, Page 12

Concern expressed at ‘indecent’ mail

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON.

Complaints from recipients of unsolicited mail “bordering on the indecent” were disturbing the Minister of Justice (Dr Finlay) and the Postmaster-General (Mr Douglas), they said in a joint statement on Monday.

Mr Douglas had referred to Dr Finlay a recent complaint from a person who was “incensed” at receiving unwanted brochures advertising all manner of sexual aids.

Dr Finlay said he had advised the recipient to approach the police to see whether they would consider a prosecution under an amendment made last year to the Indecent Publications Act which made it an offence i for a person to send to another person, in expectation of payment or gain by way of advertisement, any indecent document or sound recording not expressly ordered or solicited by that person. Mr Douglas said there was provision in the Post Office Act for dealing with material likely to be offensive. If this was applied no mail intended for the distributor of such material would be delivered and this would make it virtually impossible for the distributor to carry on a mail order business.

In appropriate cases, Mr Douglas said, arrangements would be made for the senders of offending material to be approached and informed of the provisions of the Post Office Act, Senders would also be told that if further complaints were received about the receipt of unsolicited material of that type immediate consideration would be given to applying the relevant section of the act to the firm’s mail.