MORE ABOUT PICTORIAL POSTERS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1090, 31 March 1911, Page 4

MORE ABOUT PICTORIAL POSTERS.

THE QUESTION OF CENSORSHIP. (By Tdcgraph.-;Soecial Correspondent.! Auckland, March 30. The controversy regarding tho. nature and influence on morals of tho posters displayed by the "Bad Girl of the Family" Company continues. "1 have no desire to enter into a controversy, but. I owe a duty to my principals to say something in reply to four gentlemen, leading educationists of Auckland, . who have written to your Mayor complaining that our pictorials dishonour womanhood and tenn to demoralise, the young people of the community," remarked Mr. Stanley Grant, manager of tho George M.vrlow Company, when approached by a "Star" reporter this morning. Mr. Grant, who has been associated with theatrical management for over 20 years past, and besides is an ardent admirer of art, stated that in his opinion no incident or offensive feature was portrayed in the pictorials, nor was there any suggestion even that could bo construed to be dishonouring womanhood or likely to have a iiemonlising influence on the young mind. If tho particular features to which objection had been laken wore pointed out he would know' better what came under the ban and what in the opinion of experienced teachers possess! elements of corruption. So far as tho appointment of a publio censor was concerned, Mr. Grant remarked that in no other country was there an agitation for such an official to supervise posters, but in England all theatrical pieces had first to be approved by a censor before production. \Vhcii a piece was successful the posters were generally printed a'. Home and imported to Australia, when the rights were purchase.!, and it would then be too lato. fur a local censor to pass judgment, favourable or adverse, on the pictorials-. There was no need for such an official, because no management would jeopardise its prospective business by' exhibiting posters that were so llagrantlv indecent as to arouse tho disgust of tho public. Mr. IT. W. Wilson, town clerk, stated that licenses were issued by the City Council for hoardings, but tho council had no control over the posters exhibited He remarked that tho pictures objected to did not appear to him to be offensive and there had certainly been more suggestive posters on the If fie were acting in the capacity of a censor he would have no hesitation in passing the company s pictorials. b