§ MR. S. SMITH (Flintshire)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been drawn to the following statement in The British Weekly regarding the sale of indecent books and pictures: —
One of the worst and most obtrusive evils of the present time is the sale of indecent books and pictures. Zola's novels, which are allowed in America only in expurgated editions, were sold in London till recently at a somewhat high price. They have now been reduced to 2s., and may be been in City book-shops side by side with Bibles. There are French novels still more corrupt, and these also are beginning to be translated. And as to indecent pictures, our attention has been called to a shop passed every day by thousands of City youth where the most flagrantly indecent French pictures are constantly on exhibition in the windows;and, whether the Government will take steps to suppress the sale of such indecent publications?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.)No, Sir; I have not seen the statement to which the hon. Member calls my attention. The Question is too general for me to express any opinion upon the propriety of suppressing the sale of the publications referred to. I have been in communication with the Police Authorities upon this question; and I may assure the hon. Member that no efforts have been, or will be, spared in dealing with the sale of literature and photographs of an indecent nature. But the action of the police must necessarily depend upon the particular circumstances of each case.