2802

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE

No. 102

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

Pursuant to subsection (5) of section 4 of the Public Works Amendment Act 1963, the National Roads Board hereby revokes its resolution of 16 October 1968 pursuant to section 4 of the Public Works Amendment Act 1963, declaring that part of No. 3 State Highway (Hamilton to Woodville) from the southern boundary of Waitara Borough near Brookes Street to its intersection with Smart Road, as more particularly shown on sheets 1, 2, 3, and 4 of plans M.O.W. 14489 and the accompanying Schedule held in the office of the Resident Engineer, Ministry of Works, New Plymouth, and there available for public inspection, to be a limited access road in so far as the aforementioned declaration affects that part of the said No. 3 State Highway having a width of 1 chain and fronting Lot 2, D.P. 10519, and the declaration of 2 October 1972 referring to the Board's resolution of 23 July 1968 and to Lot 1, D.P. 9363, is consequentially revoked.

Dated at Wellington this 7th day of December 1972.

D. J. CHAPMAN, Secretary.

(72/3/7/5)

No. 584

Decision of the Indecent Publications Tribunal

In the matter of the Indecent Publications Act 1963, and in the matter of an application by the Secretary for Justice for a decision in respect of the book Die 64 Besten Sexfotos by Andre de Dienes, published by Stephenson Verlag, Flensburg, Germany, and in respect of the book Nude Photography by Andre de Dienes published by Seven Seas Publishing Pty. Ltd.

Miss Bryson appeared on behalf of the applicant. There was no appearance of the publisher's representative in New Zealand. No submissions were made.

DECISION OF THE TRIBUNAL

Both these books by Andre de Dienes consist of photographs of the female nude taken in the open air; the former has no text, the latter only a little, and that silly. In decisions 103 and 111 the Tribunal has classified similar works by this photographer as indecent, mainly on the ground that there was in the contrived and blatant poses more evidence of prurience than of aesthetics. Perhaps in the two books now before us the balance is the other way. Certainly arbitrary selection of pages for display would not be in the public interest. Taking each book as a whole we think a restriction is sufficient.

The Tribunal classifies these books as indecent in the hands of persons under the age of 18 years.

R. S. V. SIMPSON, Chairman.

30 November 1972.

No. 585

Decision of the Indecent Publications Tribunal

In the matter of the Indecent Publications Act 1963, and in the matter of an application by the Comptroller of Customs for a decision in respect of the book Book of the Bed by Lars Hendle, published by Fitzwilliam Publishing Co., London.

There was no appearance of the applicant. Mr Downey, solicitor, appeared on behalf of the publisher's representative in New Zealand and made submissions.

DECISION OF THE TRIBUNAL

This "photographic guide to sexual intercourse" deals with such refinements of the subject as "synaesthesia, positionology and the teleology of positions". The text is pretentious and smart, providing poor excuse for the proliferation of close-ups and smalls; the models and their posturings are equally repulsive.

The Tribunal classifies this book as indecent.

R. S. V. SIMPSON, Chairman.

30 November 1972.

No. 586

Decision of the Indecent Publications Tribunal

In the matter of the Indecent Publications Act 1963, and in the matter of an application by the Comptroller of Customs for a decision in respect of the book Freewheelin Frank by Frank Reynolds, published by Grove Press Incorporated, New York.

There was no appearance of the applicant nor of the publisher's representative in New Zealand. Accordingly no submissions were made.

DECISION OF THE TRIBUNAL

This is a paperback edition, published in 1968, of what purports to be an autobiographical account of membership of the San Francisco gang of bikies known as Hell's Angels. The gang secretary, Frank Reynolds, tells his story to the American author and playwright, Michael McClure. We have not been able to check on its authenticity. The way of life portrayed is crude, cruel, violent, sordid, and ugly.

The Tribunal has classified a number of novels set in the same kind of environment. We refer to three of these, published by the New English Library Ltd. of London. In decisions No. 350 and 500 the novels Chopper, England's King of Angels and The Bikers were classified as indecent in the hands of persons under 18 years of age. The third novel, The Run, was, in decision No. 582, classified as indecent. Freewheelin Frank is more appropriately classified with the first two than with the third. In fact it has a greater ring of truth and more penetrating insight into the unrestrained and violent emotional storms that drive gang members into such anti-social behaviour than any of the three. We feel that it would be wrong to deny access to it by mature readers, but the possibility of emulation by the immature for "kicks" makes an age restriction desirable.

The Tribunal classifies this book as indecent in the hands of persons under the age of 18 years.

R. S. V. SIMPSON, Chairman.

30 November 1972.

No. 587

Decision of the Indecent Publications Tribunal

In the matter of the Indecent Publications Act 1963, and in the matter of an application by the Comptroller of Customs for a decision in respect of the book The Dice Man by Luke Rhinehart published by Panther Books Ltd., London.

There was no appearance of the applicant nor of the publisher's representative in New Zealand. Accordingly no submissions were made.

DECISION OF THE TRIBUNAL

This long novel is centred on an American psychiatrist (same name as the author, oddly enough) who hits on a new form of therapy—using a dice to determine one's actions. Six possible courses of action are decided on, the die is cast, and whichever course it indicates is carried out. It is not running your life purely by chance, of course, because you control the six alternatives, and they can be innocuous or dangerous. The plot becomes highly involved, with the die almost elevated into a new religion, at times there is a fairly strong sexual content.

The novel has some literary skill, and the basic idea is developed in a quite entertaining way. It does not appear to the Tribunal to be one which is likely to cause harm, nor to offend many. The Tribunal classifies this book as not indecent.

R. S. V. SIMPSON, Chairman.

30 November 1972.

No. 588

Decision of the Indecent Publications Tribunal

In the matter of the Indecent Publications Act 1963, and in the matter of an application by the Secretary for Justice for a decision in respect of the book The Lure of Lesbos by Jago Jones published by Franklin Publishing Co.

Miss Bryson appeared on behalf of the applicant. There was no appearance of the publisher's representative in New Zealand. No submissions were made.