1 JULY

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE

1259

category which adults should be able themselves to decide about, to accept or reject as soon as they become aware of its nature.

As it is confined entirely to mature adult experience it could be disturbing to younger people and we therefore classify the book as indecent in the hands of persons under 18 years.

MINORITY DECISION

Mr Johnston

MY view is that Her presents a trivial and debased view of sex. The descriptions of sexual intercourse serve no theme or ideas. Some of them are so offensive to community standards of decency as to bring the book within the provisions of the Act. The preface is banal and confused and this makes suspect the author’s honesty of purpose in assuming anonymity and his justification for using “the earthy language of love”. The novelettish quality of the writing and portrayal throughout is sufficiently indicated by the final paragraph: “Now I would have to begin to learn how to forget her. Learn loneliness again; and this time as my life’s companion, until death became my only friend”. There is no artistic insight in the book to mitigate its offensive aspects and I consider that the book should be classified as indecent.

Mr Simpson

I also dissent from the majority decision basically for the reasons given by Mr. Johnston in his dissenting decision and consider that the book should be classified as indecent.

The majority decision prevails and the book is accordingly classified as indecent in the hands of persons under the age of 18 years.

R. S. V. SIMPSON, Chairman.

23 June 1971.

No. 295

Decision of the Indecent Publications Tribunal

IN the matter of the Indecent Publications Act 1963, and in the matter of an application by Patricia Maureen Bartlett, schoolteacher, of Lower Hutt for a decision in respect of the book Affairs by John London. Published by New English Library, London.

The applicant appeared in person and made submissions.

DECISION OF THE TRIBUNAL

THIS is a paperback book which we understand is at present on sale throughout New Zealand at a retail price of 80c per copy.

The somewhat dramatised description of the book on the front and back covers states inter alia that it is “the revealing story of a lifetime of sexual obsession”.

It is perhaps better described as the story of a man who never marries and his passionate love for five women and his conquest of them. The theme is a well worn one and as would be expected in such a story, the sexual behaviour of the lovers is described in detail. It cannot be said of the book that it is written for the purpose of exploiting sex, perversion, or cruelty. It is rather a love story with a considerable emphasis on sexual adventures but no more than is currently tolerated in novels of this type.

Miss Bartlett, the applicant, drew the Tribunal’s attention to specific passages of the book which she considered as indecent but the Tribunal in reaching its decisions must “take into consideration the dominant effect of the book as a whole” as stated in section 11 (1) (a) of the Act.

The Tribunal classifies the book as not indecent.

R. S. V. SIMPSON, Chairman.

23 June 1971.

The Standards Act 1965—Specifications Declared to be Standard Specifications

PURSUANT to section 23 of the Standards Act 1965, the Standards Council, on 25 June 1971, declared the under-mentioned specifications to be standard specifications:

Number and Title of Specification

Price of Copy
$

NZS 2276: —— (BS 1991: ——) Recommendations for letter symbols, signs, and abbreviations—

Part 3: 1971 (BS 1991: Part 3: 1961) Fluid mechanics

0.88

Part 5: 1971 (BS 1991: Part 5: 1961) Applied thermodynamics

0.88

Number and Title of Specification

Price of Copy
$

NZS 7121: 1971 Hospital beds for general purposes 1.20

NZS 7122: 1971 Accessories for general purpose hospital beds ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... 1.30

Copies of the standard specifications are available from the Standards Association of New Zealand, New Zealand Display Centre Building, Sturdee Street (or Private Bag), Wellington.

Dated at Wellington this 28th day of June 1971.

G. H. EDWARDS, Director,

Standards Association of New Zealand.

(S.A. 1-114/2/2: 402-405)

The Standards Act 1965—Amendment of Standard Specifications

PURSUANT to section 23 of the Standards Act 1965, the Standards Council, on 25 June 1971, amended the under-mentioned standard specifications by the incorporation of the amendments shown hereunder:

Number, Title, and Price of Standard Specification

Amendment No./AMD

NZS 1545: 1960 (BS 2853: 1957) The design and testing of steel overhead runway beams. $1.15 ..... 4/495

NZS 1816: 1963 (BS 1362: 1953) Cartridge fuse-links for use in plugs. 58c ..... ..... ..... 3/555

Copies of the standard specifications so amended are available from the Standards Association of New Zealand, New Zealand Display Centre Building, Sturdee Street (or Private Bag), Wellington.

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

Dated at Wellington this 28th day of June 1971.

G. H. EDWARDS, Director,

Standards Association of New Zealand.

(S.A. 2-114/2/3: 610-11)

The Standards Act 1965—Standard Specifications Revoked

PURSUANT to section 23 of the Standards Act 1965, the Standards Council, on 25 June 1971, revoked the under-mentioned standard specifications:

Number and Title of Standard Specification

NZS 776: 1950 (BS 1254: 1945) W.C. seats (plastics).

NZS 1476: 1959 (BS 3012: 1958) Low density polythene sheet.

NZS 1522: 1959 (BS 3059: 1958) Steel boiler and superheater tubes.

NZS 1776: 1963 (BS 3260: 1960) PVC (vinyl) asbestos floor tiles.

NZS 1875: 1964 (BS 3691: 1963) Glass fibre rovings for the reinforcement of polyester resin systems.

Dated at Wellington this 28th day of June 1971.

G. H. EDWARDS, Director,

Standards Association of New Zealand.

(S.A. 3-114/2/7: 367-71)

The Standards Act 1965—Provisional Standard Adopted

PURSUANT to section 17 of the Standards Act 1965, the Standards Council, on 25 June 1971, approved the issue of the under-mentioned provisional standard:

Number and Title of Publication

Price of Copy

NZS 6501P: 1971 The International System (SI) Units and their application ..... ..... $1.25

Copies of the publication are available from the Standards Association of New Zealand, New Zealand Display Centre Building, Sturdee Street (or Private Bag), Wellington.

Dated at Wellington this 28th day of June 1971.

G. H. EDWARDS, Director,

Standards Association of New Zealand.

(S.A. 4-114/2/5: 36)