MINISTER OF CUSTOMS AND "FOREVER AMBER"

Chronicle (Levin), 20 March 1946, Page 2

MINISTER OF CUSTOMS AND "FOREVER AMBER"

WELLINGTON, March 19. Meution was made at the conl'erence of the Associated Booksellers in Wellington today to the probleni of ceusorship and drew from the Minister of Finance (Hon. Walter Nasli) tlie stateinent that he had read portion of the inuch debated "Forever Amber," which had been prohibited by him in his capacity as Minister of Customs. lt was essential, he said, that some forin of control be exereised, and there had been uo unfair censorship. He paid a tribute to the manner in which both booksellers and publishers had assisted in the selection of books. "We have placed the booksellers on their houour, whether they "buy bad books or not," said Mr. Nash, "and 1 think that has been perhaps the best system that could possibly have been evolved. " A restriction had beeq^ placed only on books that laid undue emphasis on sex, horror, cruelty or erime, he added. Commenting on "Forever Amber," Mr. Nash said he had read half of it. "Half of the public would be all the better for having read it," he said, "but the other half would be damned by it. " He added, ainid laugliter: "It did so mueh damage to me that I don't want to talk about it- any more. ' ' The president, Mr. II. E. Pither, said the publishers had to order a y.ear ahead and were neeessarily guided by brief reviews or reports. Their object had always been, with the assistance of the British publishers, to provide the public with good, clean and healthy lifterature. There had been no .intent on their part to import books of au objecfiopable type. _ . .