Massage books defended

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34105, 18 March 1976, Page 10

Massage books defended

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON.

A massage parlour investigation by the “Sunday News” W’as written in a more callous tone than two books before the Indecent Publications Tribunal, it has been claimed.

The two books are “Massage Parlour,” by Jennifer Sills, and “Massage Parlour Two,” by the same author. Twenty-five books were considered at a public hearing of the tribunal in Wellington today, and decision was reserved on every one.

Counsel for Huyser’s Bookshop, Mr J. B. Stevenson, said the* two books were not injurious to the public good. Mr Stevenson read a section of the newspaper’s investigation to the tribunal, and submitted the paper as evidence.

He said New Zealand newspapers were advertising masage parlours, and some were advertising for girls to work in such places. Mr Stevenson said a third book, “Teen-age Hookers,” by Stephen Lewis, was a book relating to teen-age prostitution, and was suitable reading for teen-agers.

“It would tend to discourage a young woman from moving to a larger city with ideas of teen-age prostitution,” he said. A New Zealand comparison would be girls who followed ships from port to port, he said. Counsel for Seven Seas Publishing Pty, Ltd, Mr P. J. Downey, said the book, “Show Me” by Dr Helga

Fleischhauer-Hardt, was woitten as a sex education book for children.

Mr Downev said the book would be priced at $l2, mnd this would ensure that only parents and teachers could obtain it.

He said the book was io ore than a clinical approach, and the photographs were tastefully done. “It is a sex education book specifically for children, 9 Mr Downey said.

Mr D. J. Doole hadl 19 books seized by the Customs Department when he aijrived at Wellington Airport in {September, 1974, the tribunal heard.

Mr Doole’s counsel, Afr N. J. Neville, said the boo'ks had been bought in Sydney for private reading, and w«are not for sale. Mr Neville said his 1 client faced prosecution b$ the Customs Department if the books were ruled by 1 Jhe tribunal to be indecent. “The books were for Mr JDoole’s own particular 'reading habits,” he said.

Mr Neville present!>d five books, and clippings 'From a women’s magazine. He said these were on sale in New Zealand about the time of the seizure.