Too Many Censors

NZ Truth, Issue 770, 7 August 1920, Page 1

Too Many Censors

A correspondent asks, us if the censorship has been abolished. The answer is, "Yes — and No." The military censorship has been abolished; but many other forms of censorship remain. There is, for instance, the political censorship under the War Precautions Act. The Government has the power which It is still using, to "proclaim" any publication which it objects to, and to prohibit its entry into New Zealand. All publications (other than scientific periodicals) of former enemy countries- are "prohibited imports." In addition, the Government has an immense "index expurgatorius," which is still 'being added to, on which are inscribed the names of all publications (British as well as foreign) which it considers objectionable. Besides this political censorship there ia a Customs censorship, which is supposed to concern* itself only with stopping the importations of publications or exhibits considered obscene or indecent; but this censorship also is used for political purposes, to exclude books- or periodicals which the Government and its officials may consider "dangerous." Then there is the Post Office censorship, and j governmental control of the mails. The use of the mails is prohibited to publications deemed to be illegal, seditious or blasphemous, and' such publications may be seized and destroyed. Any postal official may constitute himself prosecutor, Judge, jury and executioner m such matters. There ia still another censorship — the film censorship. The film censor sees every film before it is exhibited publicly, and . cuts and carves it (or prohibits it altogether) according to his own sweet will, fie has a most elaborate set of rules under which even the permissible length of kisses and embraces on the screen is regulated. During the war there was a military censorship of films as well as the "moral" censorship; tout the former has now been abolished. The essence of all these censorships is secrecy: the "suspect" is judged m secret, and m secret condemned, and there is no right of appeal. The censors decide m secret what books and papers the people may be permitted to read, and whatsrorka of art and what 'moving pictures' they ,tnay be allowed to see. The people apparently have no objection to bo'ing treated like little children, as there has been no public outcry against all these secret censorships.