BANNED BOOKS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22987, 15 March 1938, Page 8

BANNED BOOKS

OFFICIAL PEACTICE rejected magazines PRINCIPAL CAUSE OFFENSIVII ADVERTISING No definite list of banned magazines considered from various causes to bo objectionable is held by the Customs Department in Auckland, such as is reported to be in existence in Christchurch. "At times we hold up books, some of them leally shocking, whilo certain magazine,} or rather particular issues of magazires have been stopped by us for various reasons," said Mr. F. N. Abercrombie, Collector of Customs in Auckland, "but we really take each casa on its merits, or rather its demerits."

Mr. Abercrombie pointed out that the Customs Department -was merely concerned that certain provisions of tlio Indecent Publications Act were not infringed. In most cases where magazines had been stopped, it was because there was advertising matter therein of various articles or of a character that conflicted with the provisions of the Act. Sometimes objectionable advertisements were out out, and with these deleted the magazines were admitted. Helplul Attitude of Agents In practice it was found that where a magazine was under suspicion, agents refrained from further importations, indeed, agents helped the department; considerably, and it was the practice to confer with them when the desirability of admitting any publication was questioned. The experience was that agents were always prepared to stop the publication when the department thought its character was undesirable.

"On the question of the indecency of an illustration or of letterpress it is felt aa a general rule that the polico hare ample powers under the Act, and if they think "it necessary they will use them," continued Mr. Abercroiubie. "Tho department retdises that a magistrate in considering the subject matter will do so from the aspect of the disposal of tho publication. Certain pictures or articles might be considered indecent from the aspect) of the public, but not so if intended for the information of doctors or other types of professional men." Questions of Policy Under the Act the Minister was often the final arbiter, Mr. Abercrombie explained, and questions of policy were often involved. Bookn on Communism or of other types of politics were no longer banned. As for magazines dealing with crime and such like, the question whether they had n degrading effect on youth was not ono for the department to determine. In any case he doubted whether there was any power under the, Act to prevent the importation of such classes of magazines. The Government could, however, stop their importation under Order-in-Council if it thought this was justified. Many of the books banned were not imported by agents but by private individuals. The department also often held up indecent pictures addressed to private individuals. In these cases it always demanded an explanation from the addressee, and thin was invariably either to the effect that the person concerned had no knowledge of the sender or that it was not known when ordering them that they were of the particular character. The manager of one large book firm said he had no knowledge of any books having been banned for some years. Possibly there were books so treated that came from obscure sources, and which did not come within the scope of the business of the larger concerns. There undoubtedly was now a broader outlook and it was his impression that magazines concerning which there had been complaints were handled only by a very few small shops.