Page:1954 Juvenile Delinquency Testimony.pdf/108

96 statements, when they say articles sent ont by one of the associations, the person who writes it and endorses these books for money, when they write a survey of all the comic books, you see all kinds of little ones, nothing of the rea] ones, it misleads the people.

But I think that is not as important a problem, Senator, as the prob- Jem right now that the industry itself is preventing the mothers of this country from haying not only ine, but anybody else make any criticism,

This tremendous power is exercised by this group which consists of three parts, the comic book publishers, the printers, and last and not least, the big distributors who force these little vendors to sell these comic books. Whey force them because if they don't do that they don't vet the other things.

Mr. . How do you know that?

Dr. . I know that from many sources. You see, I read eomtie books and T buy them and I go to candy stores.

They said, "You read so many comic books." I talk to them and ask them who buys them. I say to a man, "Why do you sell this kind of stuff?"

He says, "What do you expect me to do? Not sell it?"

He says, "I will tell you something. I tried that one time."

The man save, "Look, I did that once. The newsdealer, whoever it is, says, 'You have to do it'."

"I said, 'I don't want to.'

Well', he says, 'you can't have the other magazine'."

So the man said, "Well, all right, we will let it go."

So when the next week came, all the other magazines were late. You see, he didn't give them the magazines. So he was later than all his competitors, he had to take comic books back.

IT also know it another way. There are some people who think I have some influence in this matter. JT have very little. Comie books are much worse now than when I started. J have a petition from newsdealers that appealed to me to help them so they don't hive to sell these eomie books.

What they expect me to do, I don't know. Of course, it is known to many other people. It also happens in Canada.

I know it for more reasons. I don't want to mention journalists, but I can tell you of big national magazines, the editors of which would very much like to push this question of comic book problems. They can't do that because they are themselves being distributed by very big distributors who also do comic books, and then they suffer through Joss of advertising.

That is why I gave you one example of the Book of the Month Club becanse TE think that could nail 1 down once and for all, what these people do deliberately.

The. Senator Hennings, have you any questions?

Senator. Thank you. Mr. Chairman. [have no questions.

The. Mr. Hannoch, do you have any questions you want to ask?

Mr. V{s~xoci, No questions.

Senator. I must say that I have the doctor's book, and I am reading it with great interest.

The. Doctor, we are very grateful to you for appearing here this afternoon.

Dr. . Thank you.