"THE DECAMERON"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23284, 1 March 1939, Page 14

"THE DECAMERON"

INDECENCY DENIED AUCKLAND PROSECUTION CASE FOK DEFENCE, COTJRT RESERVES DECISION Further- evidence relating tp j-he book "The Decameron," by_ Boccaccio, ■which was the subject of a prosecution tinder the Indecent Publications Act, ■was heard in the Police Court hefoie Mr. F. H. Levien, S.M., yesterday. The defendant was a principal of the London Book Club, Howard Kcddell Sumpter, for whom Mr. L. K. Munro appeared. The prosecution was conducted by Detective-Sergeant McHugh. The defendant, -in evidence, said "The Decameron" had been put on the shelves along with other books and had in no way "been made conspicuous. He did not regard the book as unsuitable for a library. When the club heard that a prosecution was likely the book was withdrawn, although it >vas not considered indecent. Membership of Olub

-The bdok had been bought with thousands of other books from the shelves of wholesale booksellers, defendant added. The club had among .its members people of the highest Btanding- in the community. Cross-examined by Detective-Sei 1 - geant. McHugh, witness said he did not think the club had any members trader 17 years of age, but he was not sure. He did not consider "The Decameron" was a dangerous book for young people; he thought it would he a very dull book. He 'would be quite prepared to let a child of his attempt to read it at any age, because a child ■would get, so bored that he would leave it after reading a few pages. But lie Trould object to a child beiiig .shown brief passages taken here and there from any' book: ' ' ; . ; \' ' . Submission-by .Counsel, '-; Mr,';Munro submitted, that, the literary and; historical vaine of ."The Decameron" as a famous', classic was so great that it would -be ridiculous to brand it as indecent, The book must be regarded a$- a .. whole.' aiid so regarded it. was pot indecent. Jt could not be judged by a perusal of isolated passages. As was said in an American case, a selection of-sqclr 'passages, if that were the principle to .apply,- would . lead to the condemnation of Chaucer or even the Bible. . . -

In this case, counsel continued, there •was evidence that the book would not be likely to fall into the hands of young people and that it would not "harm them if it-did. If there was:harm.'they could come to the same harm bv.searching for the most frank portions of the Bib le or Shakespeare's .works. - Decision was reserved."