SECOND-HAND MAGAZINES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 910, 1 March 1930, Page 8

SECOND-HAND MAGAZINES

FIRM OBJECTS TO THEIR IMPORTATION “MENACE TO HEALTH” Second-hand American magazines are coming into Auckland at the rate of about 15,000 a month, according to the representative of a large City firm which imports periodicals. Talking to The Sun today he said the American --literature” in question consisted mostly of well-thumbed cowboy and “two-gun man” yarns. Samples left at The Sun Office were confirmatory. Although the Customs Department could hardly take action on moral grounds, yet the magazines were poor productions and often soiled, possibly menacing health. Giving an instance of the scope of operations in second-hand magazines in Auckland, the representative said that the manifests of the Remuera, which recently arrived from London, showed that a certain firm of importers had brought 46 bales of secondhand magazines into the country. This consignment would total approximately 15,000 copies. Scrutiny of ships’ manifests over a period of a year indicated that this figure was a monthly average. In addition to American magazines shipped via London, many shipments came direct from New York and San Francisco. Some of the larger consignments, with date of arrival in Auckland, were as follow: —August, 1929, 92 bales ex London; October, 11 bags ex New York: November, eight bales ex New York; December, 17 bags ex New York February, 1930, 14 bags ex New York. THE HUNTING GROUNDS The magazines are collected in the States by little boys or others desirous of making a few cents, The Sunman was told. The hunting ground are hotel lobbies, park seats, railroad carriages, baseball stadiums, and so

“We are pleased to note in your paper that the subject is having the earnest attention of the Health Department,” the firm’s representative said. “It is to be hoped that some action will be taken both from the health and the moral point of view. Legislation ought to be brought down to control what is becoming an undesirable traffic.”