Page:1954 Juvenile Delinquency Testimony.pdf/178

166 The. Is Mr. Fiske in the room? Tsaw him tlius morning.

Mr. . He has left, sir.

The. He is satisfied to have this included without presentation?

Mr. . Without presentation.

The. Without objection, this statement of Mr. Fiske will be incorporated in the record at this point. I might say for the record the Chair has read the statement of Mr. Fiske and it relates entirely to the subject under inquiry here.

(The statement referred to is as follows.)

It is a pleasure to come here today and appear before a United States Senate subcommittee that sits in the dignity and decorum so eloquently shown during its hearings held here yesterday,

The objectives of this subcommittee are being fulfilled without fanfare or politicswithout baiting or criticism of witnesses, and except for the glare of TV, one wonld imagine himself before a United States Supreme Court tribunal.

The seriousness displayed by the niembers dues justice to the cause this sub- committee is serving so thoreughly and so jntelligentiy—but one enannot help but wouder why in the most important. city in the world, at a time when juvenile delingueney is at its peakso few parents, teachers, civie organizations, social workers, an@ many other groups claiming interest In this snbjecet, all seemed ecouspicuous by their ubsence. Less than 50 individuals oceupied seats in the hearing room and most of those were stalf members or witnesses. Apparently the adults are the dclinqnents and the juveniles less so.

The most suecessful of the so-called comic books are those originating from the pornographic picture publishers, and it must be called that, aceepi that eode of ethics which was printed by its own "code-authority" even that ward is a mis- nomer as is also the name comic book,

A one-time owner and publisher of a St, Louis newspaper said: "The dictionary probably does not contain a word more inappropriate than "comic" to describe anch a page (or book)."

After waty years in the newspaper publishing field this expert could not rid himself of the coufnsion cansed by what is known geuerally by "comics." Tis description of a vomic page even in a newspaper, even before the forties, published ulider a lead editorial was as follows:

Little "Smitty" did a hnmerous turn on yesterday's ecomie page, bnt the sub- jects of 10 other comics could hare been listed as follows: first fight; domestic quarrel; torture; death; murder; arson; despair: deception; fright: theft.

This publisher's analysis of the comic page further said: "We are just one of hundreds of clieuts of the srudicates that sell comics, and the latter's attitude 33 that the rest of their enstomers are apparently satisied—so they cannot be bothered with our lone complaint."

Unfortunately the public is never vocal and comic hooks, like newspapers, are manulactured for profit and shoulé not be condemned per se. his is clearly proven by the yarious witnesses who have appeared here and in other cities (oe,

What is desirable and necessary is a change in public taste.

During the "spinach" era, teachers compluined thut, among other "comics," PopEye the Sailor was rnining the spelling of every "reading" child. That profession never followed np and educators everywhere left the subject to be poudered ayer by psychiatrists, psychoanalysls, and pediatricians,

In the meantime, while all ihe yarious educational and social ageneies sat idly by, some of the comic book industry subsidized child stndy avencies, groups, and even parents' groups, filling the air with the rantings of those who sought the pot of gold.

The prevention of juvenile delinquency is far more ihapartant than fighting erime and horrar in newspapers and books, or on the air waves, and TY, too,

Give the adult public proper substitutes for this filth and trash and the comie- book industry, now reduced by over 60 percent in sales, will soon eliminate itself. There will remain no profit in puiilishing smrut, if the publie is properly educated. hose who blame children for spending 50 cents ta $1.50 at one buying session on comie books shonld blame thase who give their children such allow-