2542

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE

No. 79

"Notes on the Erotic" by Dr Rudolph Conway, PH.D., in which he purports to deal with the modern approach to sex and sexual behaviour, this translation of a fictional account of the sexual life of a young refugee whilst making her way from Russia to France to escape from the Russian Revolution has little to commend it.

The theme of the whole work is sex. The approach is prurient, with undue emphasis on crudely expressed detail on sexual experiences, and deviationism of both heterosexual and homosexual kinds.

As we are firmly of the view that it comes within the definition of indecency in section 2 of the Act, the Tribunal classifies it as indecent.

Coupled; written by Gill Porter and published by Essex House, of California.

The price of this paper-back in New Zealand is $2.20. This work purports to be the story of the sexual aberrations of a group of young married couples who happen to live in an allegedly "exclusive" new housing estate in California. It portrays in detail "wife swapping", adultery, and sexual deviationism, with some homosexuality.

There is no plot, no theme, no message or thesis. Take out the sexual machinations and intrigues, all told with lubricious detail, and there is just nothing left.

The Tribunal determines it is indecent.

Sexualis '69; written by Aaron J. Abelard and published by Barclay House, California.

The New Zealand price of this paper-back book is $2.20. Although this book is described by the publishers as a psycho-sex study and contains a bibliography plus a glossary, none of these trappings in our view takes it beyond what we feel is its true purpose; namely, an expository emphasis on sexual practices in various forms. We adopt the publisher's own description of the "case histories", viz., "Vivid and no-holds-barred" as being apt.

The true nature of the work is perhaps shown by the advertisements for similar literature, plus an order form. Although the Tribunal has considered several books of this type, we feel the true objective of this book is indecent within the meaning of the Act.

We classify it as indecent.

Between Two Women; written by Peter Keyes and published by Brandon House, California.

The New Zealand price of this paper-back book is $1.50. This "happy ending" story deals with the sexual affairs of a young architect, shared between his client, her mother, and her mother's companion.

The plot is a tangled skein, although it unravels in the end. There is little architecture in it but a great measure of sexual activity all round, lesbianism and other sexual deviations, and blackmail by means of a "blue" film depicting erotic practices between the mother and her companion.

By way of makeweight the book contains the same erotic advertisements as those in Sexualis '69, with which we have also dealt.

The emphasis on sex is of such a kind as to bring it within those provisions of the Act which would make it indecent.

We accordingly classify it as indecent.

My Bed is Not for Sleeping; written by Gerty Agoston and published by Universal Publishing and Distributing Corporation, New York, and Universal-Tandem Publishing Co. Ltd., London.

The New Zealand price is $1.05. This quite well-written novel is, to quote the publishers, "The love chronicle of a high-spirited young woman who after many ill-fated affairs and one disastrous marriage (all of which she recounts with unflinching honesty and frequent strokes of bold almost grotesque humour) discovers the fulfilment of complete physical and emotional abandon with her ultimate lover."

Parts of the tale are quite amusing and are told in language which is in no way crude or offensive. Were it not for its lack of morality and the intimate detail with which the author describes some of her aberrant sexual experiences, we should perhaps declare it not indecent; but we feel that in the hands of young impressionable readers of either sex it could be harmful.

We take into account those matters which we are required to take into account under sections 10 and 11 of the Act, and determine it is indecent in the hands of persons under the age of 17 years.

We are obliged to Mr Downey for his assistance in dealing with these five books.

24 November 1969.

F. McCARTHY, Deputy Chairman.

Indecent Publications Tribunal

I, John Lochiel Robson, of Wellington, Secretary for Justice, give notice that I have applied to the Indecent Publications Tribunal for a decision as to whether the book Portnoys Complaint, by Philip Roth, published by Jonothan Cape Ltd., London, is indecent or not, or for a decision as to its classification.

Dated at Wellington this 28th day of November 1969.

J. L. ROBSON, Secretary for Justice.

National Roads Board--Notice Declaring State Highway to be a Limited Access Road

It is notified that the National Roads Board, by resolution dated 19 November 1969 and pursuant to section 4 of the Public Works Amendment Act 1963, hereby declares that part of No. 3 State Highway (Hamilton to Woodville) from Kairanga County boundary to Taonui Stream, as more particularly shown on sheets 1, 2, 3, and 4 of plan M.O.W. 15764 and the accompanying Schedule held in the office of the resident engineer, Ministry of Works, Palmerston North, and there available for public inspection, to be a limited access road.

Dated at Wellington this 25th day of November 1969.

C. N. JOHNSON, Secretary.

(72/3/9A/5)

National Roads Board--Notice Declaring State Highway to be a Limited Access Road

It is notified that the National Roads Board, by resolution dated 19 November 1969 and pursuant to section 4 of the Public Works Amendment Act 1963, hereby declares that part of No. 1 State Highway (Awanui-Bluff) from Manawatu County boundary to Sanson County Town boundary, as more particularly shown on sheet 1 of plan M.O.W. 15766 and the accompanying Schedule held in the office of the resident engineer, Ministry of Works, Palmerston North, and there available for public inspection, to be a limited access road.

Dated at Wellington this 25th day of November 1969.

C. N. JOHNSON, Secretary.

(72/1/9A/5)

National Roads Board--Notice Declaring State Highway to be a Limited Access Road

It is notified that the National Roads Board, by resolution dated 19 November 1969 and pursuant to section 4 of the Public Works Amendment Act 1963, hereby declares that part of No. 4 State Highway (Te Kuiti to Wanganui) from Manunui Town boundary to Owhango Town boundary, as more particularly shown on sheets 1 and 2 of plan M.O.W. 15765 and the accompanying Schedule held in the office of the resident engineer, Ministry of Works, Taumarunui, and there available for public inspection, to be a limited access road.

Dated at Wellington this 25th day of November 1969.

C. N. JOHNSON, Secretary.

(72/4/6/5)

National Roads Board--Notice Partially Revoking Declaration of State Highway to be a Limited Access Road

It is notified that the National Roads Board, by resolution dated 19 November 1969 and pursuant to subsection (5) of section 4 of the Public Works Amendment Act 1963, hereby revokes its resolution of the 19th day of March 1969, pursuant to section 4 of the Public Works Amendment Act 1963, declaring that part of No. 75 State Highway (Christchurch to Akaroa) from its junction with Templeton's Road to its junction with Lillian Street, as more particularly shown on sheet 1 of plan M.O.W. 15133 and the accompanying Schedule held in the Christchurch office of the resident engineer, Ministry of Works, Christchurch, and there available for public inspection, to be a limited access road, in so far as it affects the north-western half-width of No. 75 State Highway between its junction with Dunbar's Road and its junction with Lillian Street.

Dated at Wellington this 25th day of November 1969.

C. N. JOHNSON, Secretary.

(72/75/14/5)