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Hokitika Guardian, 11 January 1927, Page 2

Tt was again claimed for New Zealand at- the Booksellers’ Conference at Auckland.* last week, that in proportion to population. Now Zealand was the greatest reading country in the world. An Auckland paper does not challenge tills agreeable tribute to the dominion’s intellectual and aesthetic taste, but it would be interesting to know, it says, exactly on what data it is based. Besides, it considers, a test of reading should include quality as well quantity. The most popular author of this generation has been, so we believe not Mr John Galsworthy, or oven. V A. S. At. Hutchinson (a much better novelist than some superior persons will allow), but the late lamented Nat Gould. It was mentioned at the Conference. that in fifteen years the value of books imported into this country had increased out of proportion to the population, but be who made this claim may have overlooked the fact, which is all too obvious to the book-lover, that prices of books are much higher than they were before the war. The president of the Retail Booksellers’ Association, who made these statements, also had somthing interesting to say about “sex novels’’ in general and the censorship in particular. At best the censorship is a choice between evils. The responsibilly is primarily with the publisher. The President, however, said that the “out and out sex novel’’ is passing away and a healthier tone is rnming into fiction. Wo are glad to hear it, though we cannot say that wo have noticed any marked change.