IS IT INDECENT?

NZ Truth, Issue 135, 18 January 1908, Page 5

IS IT INDECENT?

THE " LONE HAND " AND THE LAW. Two Wellington Stationers Summoned. An extraordinary prosecution has been instituted by the police against two Wellington booksellers, named Bernard Wbittaker and John Dickie, who are charged, on separate informations, with selling copies of the "Lone Hand" magazine of date December 2, which contains a reproduction, m colors, of Bernard Hall's rnac-ni/ioent work of art, "Sleep." The force is, of course, responsible for the proceedings, but the picture was brought under its notice by^ that section of the community whose impulses m Ihese matters "Truth" has never been able to understand. Mr Herdman, for the defence, made application - for an adjournment till Wednesday next of the information, which he was sure \his Worshin would find to ]ie not only foundationless but also of a ridiculous character. He submitted that Whittaker ami Dickie vere not the real defendants m the present action, those nersons heine: t-hv nrom-ietors of the magazine m which the picture bad anpeared, and as the ' Rvflnev boat was not exnec'ted until that mornine- they were not m possession of the inform n'tion neee^sarv to proceed with the case. The nature m onesiion was a i-e---"roduction of a painting by one of the A.TOST CELEBRATED ARTISTS OF ' VICTORIA, and which was hung m the Melbourne Gallery. Be.r_._rd Halt Avas trustee of the Felton 'trust Fund, which iepresented a bequest of ±.8i)00 for the J purchase of works of arc m Victoria, and he had sole control of this lar«e , sum for that -ui|iOi.e. On Wednesj day nexL, his Worshi" would be askj.ert to say if the 'Lone Land uroi pr-ietarv was allowed to awe thu public of Victoria, familiar- 'with the • works of .>rt purchased for the beneIfit of the people of Viotoiia. j Magistrate Riddell . The public of I N T ew Zealand. | Mr Tierdman : Of Australia and j Mew Zcel.-ind. , I The adjournment; was granted. j. Thr '>ie(.iiK complained of is Oiien- | tal. m r-haracteri and de'-icts a. nude j woman Ling on a coii'-h, 'anpar'entlv .! -njoving a mid-day si^s'a m the ! tiPTnj-trorie -riiue.tr' rf Ih e Fast She jis a with 'u - own.' hair, nnd her pnlv n:-)iMr>i-nf ir,- a "ice of p-re>n ribbon, wbir-h j<; usjecl to hind un her '■•ovwrfrd tro-s, The T"i--t : ng is a '■vea llv •f.ne-'studv m f'vs-}i tint-, the only ■u.itupal feature keinr-- the ar- . tisfs '-onces^iruT to the p unhnii minded, and t' e nr^-.n-i !ies fener-llv :by indur-ir-fr the figure to draw' u?>---i ward one l^wer limb. This'ioiis ntI tp-n^ni ->t coioe-'lment creates "pug-' fwntion." which world not he nresj ent if the Ti.-hr>lr. |ir.fl~ wer" f'^llv ex-j-nofsed. "Tothe m«re el] ti-ir.o- s . are J tuire " The woman is attr-nded by j two bsn. .-'.moidirift.. oue of whom is f"j]r at'irrd m <he -irraerf.-], Pow'ng • robes of tKn Pjist. v/hrb were also a ; foatv-re of Rnrnau r»ivi]ic"ti>n. Tn ! fart, there js nothing ''n the r>rt"ve | to the U\if pve to ir>i\n«i-p -fbat <he j peer e ''opr not deT'iVf, Tjf P i n the tii^e .of the Cfi«MMirss. t Tbe other m"id j Ttaq rpprpi RTTPT-F^T'OS'RD, J i but doesn't look conscious of the' cir- I cumstance. The painting is a mag- , nificent ""-., an d, to the ordinary I worldly eye, there is notbinp- m it jto prevent it being nnnrr m a "com- . iron drawing-room. \ A number of the P"itish magazines Have lately been reproducing works of art by well-known painters, some! of , them studies m the nude, whi^h ! will come within the scone of • tbe ! New Zealand law if it is decided. that | Hall'^ painting is i^«»eent. The pre-! sent nroseeution. therefore, opens, up a ,very wide question, and '-onsiderabl" interest will be manifested m the proceedings on Wednesday next.