BOOKS MUTILATED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25456, 10 February 1944, Page 4

BOOKS MUTILATED

VANDALISM AT LIBRARY OFFENDER IN * COURT "This mutilation of books is very prevalent at the present time, and the City Council is greatly concerned about it,” said Mr E. H. Barrett, chief traffic inspector, in the City Police Court yesterday, when Edward Henry Whiteside, a chemist, 30 years Of age, pleaded guilty to mutilating a book at the Public Library. Mr Barrett produced a large number of books and magazines which, he said, had been taken at random from the many publications ruined by vandals. One was a valuable text book that had been damaged by the removal of an important illustration. Mr Barrett added that women appeared to be the worst offenders, as the majority of the damaged magazines were women’s publications. From some of these six or more pages had been cut out. Referring to the charge against Whiteside, Mr Barrett stated that on December 24 the accused had been detected cutting a page from a magazine in the Library. From inquiries made he was satisfied that this'had been the accused’s first offence. Mr D. More, who represented Whiteside, said the accused had not previously been in trouble. His action had been impetuous, and had been done without at first realising that he was committing an offence. “This type of vandalism is difficult to detect, and public property must be protected,” said the magistrate (Mr J. R. Bartholomew), in imposing a fine of £5,-with costs.