FRENCH AUTHORS IN COURT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2719, 14 March 1916, Page 2

FRENCH AUTHORS IN COURT

ARE ALPHONSE DATJDET AND PALL DE KOCK INDECENT?

Reserved judgment was given yesterday morning in the case in which Norman Edward Aitkeu, bookseller, was recently charged with soiling indcdeni publications, namely, the French novels "Sappho," by Alphonse Daudot. and "That Rascal Gustavo," by Paul do K6ck. At tho hearing Mr. D; M. Findlay appeared for the defendant. In giving judgment, the Magistrate (Mr. D. G. A. Cooper) said that the sale was admitted, and he had been asked to read certain marked . paragraphs in the books, and to Bay if they came -within the scope of .Section 2 of the Act, ' which defined _ an indecent document. After the_ paragraphs referred to. His > AVorship was of opinion that these works could not be said to be indecent. Tuey were written by authors of high standing in the literary world, wereJFrench olas' sics, and had been accepted and sold as suoh. Possibly if the paragraphs ivere italcen separately they might be objeotecl to, but when the books were considered as a whole it would be taking too narrow a view altogether to class them as indecent, or as having an immoral effect. The informations would bo dismissed.

Mr. Findlay pointed out that ttieri' were several witnesses, and" he asked for costs. The Magistrate Seclmed to allow costs against the police when the proceedings wore brought in good faith, as in the case before the Court.