OBJECTIONABLE LITERATURE.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12403, 19 November 1908, Page 1

OBJECTIONABLE LITERATURE.

At the Carlisle Diocesan Conferonce, Canon Rawnsloy introducpd the subject of "Religion and the Press." He argued that the churches were not doing their utmost to sco that the best, and only the best, hooks were put into the hands of the young. If they turned to the daily press they found a higli tons in the bulk of the papers. Notwithstanding some exceptions, the English, press was not corruptible or venal. But the Church had not done its best to make use of the daily or weekly press in the cause of righteousness and public morality. The peril of the yellow_ press was at their doors, and it -was their duty as churchmen to rouso public opinion against it. After speaking of mutoseope, or bioscope, abominations. Canon Rawnsley spoke of the picture postcard as now to bo reckoned with among the indecent publications of the day. Regarding the "new" novel, Canon Rawnsloy said that women writers were vying with men in its production. They glorified sensuousneßs. they poured contempt on the old-fashioned sanctities of married life ; they spoke of monogamy as a vast mistake, and of the bonds of marriage as a tradition r<l relic of a savage civilisation. Ho believed tho most culpable distributors of these books were not the book shops, but the railway bookstalls. He had heard that one of the most objectionable novels of the past year had been sold to the tune of 60,000 copies in three months by a single, railway bookstall firm. The church's work was to arouse public opinion. He advised tho compilation of a white list" for prize-givers, and also the compilation of a "black list_, to be issued -confidentially, giving the names of firms and writers who issued the abominations of which he had spoken. A conference would shortly be called in London of men representing Parliament, tho publishing world, the literary world, the business world, the educational world, and the Church to consider what was best to be done. The matter was one, not for one church, but for all the churches, and churchfolk had a right to expect their Archbishops and. Bishops to lead them in the matter. Chancellor Prescot said it was painful to think that some of the worst novels were -written by women. He belieyed that hone lay, not in the public censor, but in creating a healthy opinion.