BANNED BOOKS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16543, 29 September 1921, Page 7

BANNED BOOKS.

QUESTIONS IN HOUSE. (Special to the “Star.”) WELLINGTON, September 28. The member for Duller (Mr H. E. Ht Hand) had a question on the Order Paper yesterday relating to the action of the Government in prohibiting the importation of certain books, including Anstey’s “Red Europe,” Kirkpatrick’s “ War, Whkt For?” and Ross’s Magazine, a Socialist publication. Tho Minister gave a non-committal reply respecting the questioner’s attempt to get a promise that tho ban on these publications would be removed and this afternoon when answers to questions were circulated Mr Holland criticised the Government for the unsatisfactory nature of the reply- Later the Minister, dealing with the criticisms, sought to extract a statement from Mr Holland whether ho would be agreeable personally to the exclusion of publications exhorting violence. Mr Holland, interjecting, insisted that the books named did not advocate violence but were merely statements ot historical fact. As the Minister still pressed for an answer, Mr Holland said that he was perfectly willing to discuss the matter later. The Minister thereupon said that there was obviously no unanimity cf opinion among the members of the Labour Party on tlie matter and he read an interview given to tho “ Lyttelton Times ” by the member for Avon, Mr D. G. Sullivan, in which Mr Sulh van very emphatically admitted the Government’s right to exclude from the Dominion all literature advocating violence and rebellion. He would like to know whether the Labour Party would subscribe to Mr Sullivan’s opinion. Mr Holland interjected that even the Minister himself had read the books referred to. Why should lie deny other people the right also to read them ? The Minister closed the subject by stating that tho Government would not allow literature advocating violence to be circulated, but in regard to the books mentioned he would have the question reviewed.