BOOKS FOR CHILDREN

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 305, 23 November 1945, Page 7

BOOKS FOR CHILDREN

BOARD ALARMED

The Wanganui Education Board had before it this week two sets of books for children, \ one set labelled unsuitable arid containing books entitled “Murder in the Night”, “Wild West”, “Detective” and certain comics. The other set was from the Wanganui Public Library and comprised adventure stories as well as books on simple handcrafts.

The acting-chief inspector (Mr R. A. Dickie) said the Country Library Service, through both the Wanganui and Palmerston North Public Libraries, was sending as many of these good hooks as possible out to the schools in an endeavour to counteract the incursions of the comics and crime books.

The Minister of Customs (Mr Nash) advised that all import licenses for printed books were endorsed to tlib effect that no publications which gave prominence to sex, obscenity, horror, terror, cruelty or crime would bo admitted under licenses.

Mr Nash is to be sent copies of the first set—the comics and crime books - which the board considered came into the “horror and terror” category. Mr Dickie said that all recognised that children loved fun and mystery and there were books which provided them. He referred to the second set of books from the public libraries and said Wanganui and Palmerston North were providing the best country circulating service in New Zealand. He then expressed a doubt ,as to whether parents really knew what their children were reading. Mr W. H. Brown said the booksellers were deprived of import licenses whiih would enable them to import good books. He asked Mr Dickie if there were a greater selection of children’s books in the Uriited States than in England. Mr Dickie said that was the position, unfortunately. Mr Brown said practically the only extra import licenses available we're for libraries, which meant the booksellers could not get books for selling. How could they secure good books under such conditions ?

The board decided to congratulate the Palmerston North'and Wanganui libraries on what they were doing and, on the motion of Mr W. B. Tennent, to draw the attention of the Government to the book importing situation, which was described as alarming.