PERNICIOUS LITERATURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18565, 24 November 1923, Page 11

PERNICIOUS LITERATURE.

PRESBYTERIAN CRIYICISM. /v. : -.r fBY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION, , CHRISTCHUECH, Friday. • A vigorous denunciation of a certain type of pernicious literature was contained in a report presented to the Presbyterian General , Assembly to-day, on behalf of the Public Questions Committee. ; - )

On behalf ■of the committee, the Rev. J. i Paterson proposed , that | the assembly should adopt a : deliverance calling f the attention •of ministers and; church people to the grave danger arising from the ?increasing circulation of debasing literature. In much of the popular literature of the day there was manifest an extremely reprehensible obsession of sex. which should be severely discountenanced. : ; Novels dealing with 'sex problems came in an innocent guise, and were, in ignorance ,of their real j contents and : purpose, allowed as reading to young people. : While they might hope for some safeguards from the recently appointed :" board of censors, experience proved that neither Government censorship nor official denunciations oould crush the evil. It# was suggested that every effort should be made to cultivated a love of noble literature and that every care should be exercised in the choice of books for public and school libraries. Mr; J. Brook (Auckland) said that he would like the word " pictures " to be added ' after " literature."

Mr. Paterson said that the only reason why the committee had not dealt with the subject of pictures was that for the pasttwo or three years the assembly hsd passed elaborate resolutions in which they said practically all there was to be said concerning that subject. If the assembly desired the committee could frame a resolution about motion pictures.. No one pressed for a- motion dealing with pictures and the original motion was carried. , The moderator suggested that the resolution should be read from the pulpits.