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23.2.1955AFFIDAVIT OF O. W. BUTLER DATED
I, ORMOND WILLIAM BUTLER of 15 Harold Street Holland Park Brisbane in the State of Queensland Deputy Director of the State Children Department make oath and say as follows:- 1. I crave leave to refer to my affidavit sworn herein on the Sixteenth day of February 1955 2. I have perused that part of the report of the Special Committee on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents appointed by the New Zealand Government and dated 20th September 1954 which deals with objectionable publications and I agree that a banning of printed matter injurious to children would encourage the efforts of those people who seek to lead children through good reading to better things. 3. In my opinion reading of the publications referred to in Paragraphs 2 and 3 of my affidavit hereinbefore mentioned would discourage children and adolescents from reading literature of a higher standard. Whilst I do not set myself up as an educationalist in my practical experience in the State Children Department I have noticed that children and adolescents who read publications of the types referred to in Paragraphs 2 and 3 of my affidavit hereinbefore mentioned do not read better types of literature and that the reading of such publications seems to discourage them from reading better types of literature. When I was stationed in Townsville I have frequently taken publications of the type referred to herein from children and I noticed that they then read better types of literature. 4. Children and adolescents from time to time exchange with other children and adolescents copies of what are generally known as "comics" which description would include the said publications and the effect of this is to considerably increase the circulation of these "comics". SIGNED AND SWORN by the abovenamed Deponent at Brisbane aforesaid this twentythird day of February 1955.
30 The 1955 Romance Comics Trial
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