Following upon the presentation of the Mazengarb report the Government
immediately took steps to give effect to those recommendations which
called for special legislation. Three Bills were introduced, the first
dealing with "indecent publications", the second dealing with child
welfare, and the third with police offences.
In our order of reference we were directed to study these pieces of
legislation and to report as to their efficacy and as to whether there
were any specific amendments that were necessary or desirable.
In the preparation of this part of our report we have had the advice
and much valued assistance of the Department of Justice. We deal here
with the question of "publications". Our comments as to the Child
Welfare Act appear elsewhere in this report. No comment is needed
regarding the amendment to the Police Offences Act. First as to
_publications of a more or less objectionable character circulating
in New Zealand_.
We set out at some length some portions of the report submitted for our
consideration by the Minister of Justice, the Hon. Mr Marshall.
_Inter alia_, it is said: