Baptists’ Concern At Rulings On Books

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31085, 14 June 1966, Page 3

Baptists’ Concern At Rulings On Books

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 13. Concern at the way in which the Indecent Publications Tribunal is working was expressed by the Wellington Baptist Association at its annual meeting at the week-end. The Government will be asked to reconsider the tribunal’s constitution and its manner of working.

“It seems that the plea of literary or artistic merit can too easily out-weigh considerations of public interest in arriving at decisions about the release of literature,” said a resolution passed by the meeting.

In a period when many responsible people were expressing concern about moral ; trends in the community, ' every effort should be made to eliminate all sources of ini decent influence, the resolu- ■ tion said. “That an occasional book of ’literary merit should be ' banned is of far less concern than that a single young person should be degraded by its indecent suggestions,” said the resolution. The meeting also passed a resolution expressing appreciation of the work of the Film Censor “having in mind the difficulties inherent in his

work and its tremendous responsibilities.” The resolution said the community, with its wide range of tastes and standards, was being served by a censor who sought to maintain balance and to uphold a high standard of screen presentation. The Rev. D. Stewart, who moved the resolution on behalf of the association’s Public Questions Committee, said Christians should “thank God for what the censor cuts out.” He said members of the committee had seen some of the excisions made by the censor, and they were “grim indeed.”