LURID POSTERS

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 130, 1 June 1917, Page 6

LURID POSTERS

CITY COUNCIL POWERLESS

TO ACT

BUT WILL CO-OPERATE WITH

THE MINISTER.

A good deal of publicity has been given of late to the question of moving pictures and posters on hoardings which are deemed likely to have a deleterious effect on the morals of the young. Last evening the subject was discussed by the City Council as the result of a recorcmendation. received from the Minister of Internal Affairs. The B^liot* Committee reported that it had <a>asidered the letter received from the Minister asking the co-operation of the oounr oil in regard to the exhibition of objectionable posters on hoardings, and in vestibules of theatres and other puhlic places. The Minister • asked what action the council proposed to take in the matter. He stated that, if muniqipal authorities: were not prepared to exercise the powers given them by section 344 (a) and (o) of The Municipal Corporations Act, 1908, the Grovsrnnwnt might consider it necessary to find some other means of dealing with what was »n undoubted evil, and which was calculated to undermine the morals of the juvenile population of the Dominion. The committee recommended that the Minister be informed that, as the question appeared to be one of morals, the council had no power to deal with it, clause 347 (c) of The Municipal Corporations Act, 1908, providing as follows : "(e) Inasmuch as it ja inexpedient that questions of religion or morals should be regulated by bylaw, no bylaw shall be valid if a breach thereof would involve a breach only of some religious or moral rule."

Councillor A. R. Atkinson, expressed the view that the City Council should not take up an unsympathetic attitude in the matter, as he thought that the evil to which the Minister called attention was an exceedingly gross one. He had seen some objectionable pictures on hoardings and it appeared to him that they, 'were growing worse. He (the speaker) had wondered why the censor had allowed some of the pictures to be exhibited until he had made the explanation that he had no control over the hoardings. The council should cooperate, with the Minister and show, that it appreciated any effort to stop the jvil. lie was surprised at the legal decision §iven in the matter that the local hodiee were unable to deal with the. trouble.

Councillor G. Frost said that several objections had been raised by the Catho* lie Federation to the hoarding? and the pictures, and the Minister had replied that the pnblic bodies had the power to deal with them. It had been ruled that the local bodies had no such power, but •he thought that they should co-operate with the Minister in the view he took of the subject. Councillor M. Luckie said; it seemed strange to him that' the local bodies could not control the hoardings, and that they should be under the control of the police. Councillor I*. M'Kenzis expressed th» opinion that most of the picture theatres kept well within bounds, but. the coun* oil should do what it could in the way of preventing any objectionable hoardinejs. * The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) expressed his sympathy with Councillor Atkinson's remarks. The Minister, h* said, had replied to the deputation, which waited on him, that he did not think that Government legislation to stop the evil could be introduced this session. He thought that some of the hoardings were a disgrace, and he supported the suggestion that a deputation from the Council should wait upon the Minister and urge him to bring down the necessary legislation in Parliament during the coming session. , Councillor W. H. P. Barber moved an amendment to the ■ committee's recommendation deploring the fact that the Council had no power to deal with the question, andf that it would be glad to give the Minister «very assistance in coping with the evil. "I am a good deal puzzled to knowwhy the Minister expects the Council to help him in this matter?" said Councillor R. A. Wright. There, had been prosecutions as the result of the action taken by the police in regard to objectionable pictures, and he could not. understand why the Minister wa,s, powerless in the matter. With Councillor Barber's amendment the report was unanimously, adopted.