CENSORSHIP OF POLITICAL LITERATURE

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 28, 2 August 1921, Page 3

CENSORSHIP OF POLITICAL LITERATURE

VICTORIA COLLEGE DEBATE.

The Victoria University College Debating Society held a debate last Saturday evening in the College Gymnasium, the subject being, "That recent attempts to exercise a censorship over political literature in this and other countries are to be condemned."

The motion was moved by Mr. W. A. Sheat, supported by Mr. J. W. Davidson; and opposed by Messrs. N. J. Lewis and H. 15. Moore.

Mr. Sheat contended that whereas the avowed object of the censorship was to guard against incitement to lawlessness, it was, in faot, being used to suppress historical facts and legitimate comment ou contemporary movements. The censorship was based on a groundless fear of a resort to violent revolution. In view of the improbability of a resort to violence resulting from th« reading of such literature, the Government was not justified in suppressing any expression of opinion provided it was couched in decent language. The best guarantee against violence was democratic government, to which a censorship was fundamentally opposed.

Mr. Lewis maintained that many people were very susceptible to reiterated propaganda, and it was the aim of certain political literature to excito uneducated minds to violence and lawlessness. Tho duty of the Government was to maintain law and order in the State, and to accomplish this there must be somo form of censorship of dangerous literature.

After the leading speakers had concluded their addresses, a number of other speakers expressed their views on the subject, and on the motion being put to the, meeting it was declared lost by one vote.

The jadge, Mr. J. H. Howell, placed the best live speakers in the following order:—Messrs. Davidson, Shuat, Lcwio, and Tonkin (equoj), and .CaxupfeelL