"A BREACH OF THE ACT."

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 3 April 1919, Page 3

"A BREACH OF THE ACT."

His Worship (Mr J: E. Wilson, S.M.), saicHie was quite satisfied that these small cheap copies of famous pictures in the nude were not proper subjects for .indiscriminate sale in a book-shop and exhibition in a shop-window. He considered there had been a breach of the A.ct, and each of the defendants would be fined £5, and 7s costs. Mr Wilson (a much respected Magistrate) was no doubt acting within his powers in thus dealing with the case. At the same time it is rather difficult to understand why the law should offer no objection to the exhibition of studies from the nude on the walls of a picture-gallery, but offer the very strongest objection to reproductions of the same pictures being offered for sale in a bookseller's or stationer's shop, If it is harmful to the morals of a young person to see these art studies on a small scale, must it not be more harmful to that young person's morals to see the same pictures on a large scale ? If the law will not permit copies of these pictures to be sold, then the law, to be consistent, should close all our art galleries—at all events to young persons.