298 THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE No. 9

case of what he described as the high risk group of disturbed or unstable children, the cumulative effect could be harmful.

Mr Ross made it clear that he did not deprecate all violence in literature, but presented as it was in this periodical the effect was extreme and unreal, conveying so frightening and distorted a picture that the result could be overwhelming.

Mr Savage drew our attention to a standard work on "horror comics", Frederic Wertham’s Seduction of the Innocent, Rinehart, 1954; notably to passages dealing with “identification” and “the comic book syndrome”. He sought a classification which either would declare the issue to be indecent or would declare it indecent in the hands of children under a specified age: under s. 11 (3) of the Act this would, in the case of a picture-story book likely to be read by children, have the same effect.

Counsel invited us to declare this issue to be such a picture-story book and this we do without hesitation.

Without necessarily accepting all Dr Wertham’s contentions, we are of opinion that under s. 11 (1) (e) cited by Counsel there does exist a likelihood that some persons might be corrupted by reading the book and we cannot see any likelihood that any other persons might benefit therefrom. No purpose is apparent in the publication, other than the desire to capitalise on people’s capacity to be shocked and disturbed in an unhealthy way.

It is our view that the dominant effect of this magazine is to appeal to anxiety and fear and to encourage vicious and indiscriminate aggression.

In our opinion this magazine deals with matters of horror, crime, cruelty, and violence in a manner that is calculated to be injurious to the public good and we therefore decide that it is indecent.

13 February 1969.

L. G. H. SINCLAIR, Chairman.

The Standards Act 1965—Specifications Declared to be Standard Specifications

Pursuant to the provisions of the Standards Act 1965, the Standards Council, on 20 December 1968, declared the undermentioned specifications to be standard specifications:

NOTE—These standards are being printed. Copies are expected to be available after 21 March 1969.

Application for copies should be made to the Standards Association of New Zealand, Private Bag, Wellington.

Dated at Wellington this 14th day of December 1968.

G. H. EDWARDS, Director,
Standards Association of New Zealand.

(S.A. 114/2/2: 299–304)

The Standards Act 1965—Amendment of Standard Recommendation

Pursuant to the provisions of the Standards Act 1965, the Standards Council, on 20 December 1968, amended the undermentioned standard recommendation by the incorporation of the amendment shown hereunder:

Copies of the amended standard recommendation are available from the Standards Association of New Zealand, Private Bag, Wellington.

Copies of the amendment will be supplied, free of charge, upon request.

Dated at Wellington this 14th day of February 1969.

G. H. EDWARDS, Director,
Standards Association of New Zealand.

(S.A. 114/2/4: 40)

The Standards Act 1965—Amendment of Standard Specifications

Pursuant to the provisions of the Standards Act 1965, the Standards Council, on 20 December 1968, amended the undermentioned standard specifications by the incorporation of the amendments shown hereunder:

The amended standard specifications are available from the Standards Association of New Zealand, Private Bag, Wellington.

Unless otherwise stated, copies of the amendments will be supplied, free of charge, upon request.

Dated at Wellington this 14th day of February 1969.

G. H. EDWARDS, Director,
Standards Association of New Zealand.

(S.A. 114/2/3: 389–402)

The Standards Act 1965—Amendment of Standard Specifications

Pursuant to the provisions of the Standards Act 1965, the Standards Council, on 20 December 1968, amended the undermentioned standard specifications by the incorporation of the amendments shown hereunder: