IMMORAL LITERATURE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 506, 13 May 1909, Page 4

IMMORAL LITERATURE.

NEED FOR SUPPRESSION. ] OPINIONS OF TWO BISHOPS. . fol.TKEQlfAl'n—ritESS ASSOCIATION.) Chrlstchurch, May 12. - 'A largo deputation, composed of a number -of minister* of religion, school teachers, and others, :laid :bcfoio -the;. Premier -to-day the ' necessity' for further legislation to provenfc .tho .dissemination ,of immorol and obscene literataro. v v , :, Bishop. Grimes ■: said tho objeot of tho dq-..-.,putotion::']md.vbis.'.degpest-.sympa%.'''"'"°Ue' . :-lolt sure .that, as soon as Sir. Joseph' Ward was; made- awaro of " the - growing ovil -in ; th^'spread.'of ' immodest,: indecent,' . ; rand filthy literature,- ho would do' all-In - hie powor to stop it. .. It was difficult to suggest tho remedy, but -as 'stringent stops wero 'takon to;provent tho spread of contagion and other- dreaded diseases,; l(o -thought that ; ;,the;Govemmeht\:might' in its'wisdom tako similar steps fin respect to the prevention of tho spread or indecent literature; A department which had control of such matters had been./ostablishod: in .tho United States. The. word, "censorship" was an ugly ono, and : -ono that naturally - provoked ■; feelings "of levolti rand '.whilst ho 'had on, several occasions .'referred to tho .clean press of New' Zealand, and whilst hb was-a supporter of tho liberty '.of tho .preßSr : :;ho;' thought\.tb»fc. most peoplo kne.v tho, difference helween tho freedom of ythe : press, and shameless: licenso. Hiq lord- ; ship also suggested' that there . should bo .. authorities in oaoh ? municipalitywho -. would . have powor ■to suppress hooka of the charao. ter indicated.,. - Bishop. Julius Baid that, some'timo ago he :had' been ■ personally asked to prosccuto in respect -. to certain' books . which ho' had .. examined. . 'He .had.. neverreadanything y more filthy,or. mora «alculatod :to.domorali3o . young readers..-.After.considering tho mat-4^:™-,decided?;thatrit:!vbuldibe!;iinpossibla tor him to take action, firstl. because it would :; make..tho matter' very public, and would, es-pecially-if the .prosocution failed, ndvortiio , .tho .books. . Tho, prosecution had been taken n P h y tho polico and had failed, and tho rosult had been a great demand for tho books. .! Personally ho much objected l to censorship of ■ - r"e Dross..,.Thoro -wero -.certain ■ newspapers' vpubhshsd: in .tbo 'Dominion #at .ivero utferiy xUsgraooml, Great :good ivould bo dono if , facility; woro. given for. tho suppression' of the : -,c»Ms_^f, and; newspapers referred .; did- not advocate any: puritanical suppression of literature. : c N. Adams said tho books-which , tormed the basis. of the, prosecution- in this - city woro beyond expression the filthiest con- ;- ceivablo. Sinccfthe prosecution'thoso' - books & Dtnng oponly sold in tho Dominion; » -"•; Salter,, president of tho i -iii.vJ.A.j said that ,- that 'association : was anxious to have .tho literature of the Dominion purified. Mr. S. c. Owen, headmaster of East - L'bnstohurch^Sohool) .said that schoolmasters - touny that . the' elder children had no diffi:ulty in obtaining the class of books referred■v 'Oj.and they. had 4 to, institute-a censorship, and had-to do a. groat deal of confiscation, r-fms brpnght .theih- in'oohflict with parents,.: who presented their notion.' i! He sue■'gestod that 'V.there;' should'-bo a' list '• of ■ pro- . the -employment ,of-: a - reader,by . tho IGovernment, ho conld be very glad if there was somo censorship. ; Sir Joseph Ward said the" matter would •: receive;tlie fullest consideration of:tho' Government, whioh reoogniwd tho importance of . tho. prevention of-tho ? dissemination of-the clasgps ot litoraturo referred to. Tho difficulty was to establish a system tho machinery of which would not bo regarded as an interference with the liberty of the press. :'lho difficulty-of - censorship ; was; so great that he would not go into it at all. The Government had had representations on tho subject .- parts/T-and: the representations -'of' the deputation^w OT Id bo'added to-thorn-and R-onld receive .careful Rn d fall consideration."