RADIO “THRILLERS”

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 December 1939, Page 3

RADIO “THRILLERS”

EFFECT ON CHILDREN. The prevention of children listening to radio thrillers should be a matter lor parents rather than Government regulation, said the Australian Post-master-General, Mr. E. .1. Harrison, commenting on the statement of Mr. Justice Brennan, of Queensland, that such broadcasts should be banned. As long as a thriller did not contain anything objectionable he thought that to ban them would be undue interference: with the liberty of the individual.

“I-will give consideration to Mr. Justice Brennan's remarks,” Mr Harlison said. “The broadcasting of indecent or blasphemous matter is prohibited. and the department can take action if the broadcasts deliberately offend custom and good taste. The thrillers broadcast, are obviously considered to have entertainment value, just as are many mystery books published every week.” Replying to Mr Justice Brennan’s other suggestion that some murder novels should be banned, the Minister lor Customs, Mr. -J. N. Lawson, said that the censorship of imported crime 1 literature was probably stricter in the Commonwealth than in any other country. He pointed out, however, that the Commonwealth had no power to control locally printed matter, which was under the authority of the St.a tes.