CENSORSHIP OF POSTERS

Northern Advocate, 3 October 1930, Page 4

CENSORSHIP OF POSTERS

Censorship of film posters is now the law of New Zealand, regulations to bring it into force having been gazetted yesterday. This censorship is to be welcomed. Like all restrictive legislation, it need have no terrors for the clean, honest exhibitor, but it win put into* the hands of the censer a much needed power to deal with the exhibitor who is not clean and honest. Whatever may be said of the censorship of films, there is no question as to its salutary effect, for one has only to compare the generality of screen productions today with some of those shown a number of years ago. There has been brought about a pronounced improvement. The same cannot be aid of advertising posters, for i though the majority are artistic and attractive, some should not be allowed to appear on public hoardings. The censor of films, however, has been impotent so far as the prohibition bf! posters is concerned. This has been re grettod on more than a few occasions, The censor will now be required to approve every poster before its exhibition. Any person who exhibits, oi uses for the advertisement of any film, or who supplies to any person for such purpose any poster which has not been approved by the censor, will be liable to punishment. This is a step in the right directidn, so Jong as tho censorship is sane and unbiassed. It is more necessary that posters should bo free from coarseness or suggestiveness than that the films they advertise should lie wholesome, for whereas parents may control their children’s at tendance at picture theatres, they cannot prevent the juveniles from devouring posters exhibited in the streets. This is a very important point, and we have no doubt it influenced tiff Government in framing the regulations ga7. ell e d yest.e rda y.