Page:1954 Juvenile Delinquency Testimony.pdf/279

Rh Mr. Brack. Wholesaler of newspapers, magazines, books, and periodicals.

Mr. . You are also a representative of an organization of wholesalers?

Mr, Bracn, Yes, Ion 2 vice president of the Atlantic Coast. Inde- pendent Distributors Association and chairman of committee 1, which deals with indecent Inerature.

Mr. . How many members would that organization have, sir?

Mr. Duaex. We have approximately 270 members in 21 States, and the District of Columbia.

Mr. . Now, you testified some time ago before what 1s known as the Gathings committee on the distribution of materials. We are eoncerned here with crime and horror comics. | was wondering whether you would not want to make a hrief statement in relulion to that m addition to what we know already from the testimony before the Gathings committee,

Me. Brack. We had a meeting of the board of directors of our as- socimion here in New York last week. At that time I was instructed io prepare and deliver to this committee a statement whieh, with your permission, | would Hike to deliver now, and insert in the record.

The. You may have that permission.

Mr. Buack. This isthe statement of the Atlantic Coast. Tudependent Distributors Association on the matter of pornograplic and otherwise objectionable rending matter.

The Atlantic Coast Independent Distributors Association appreci- ates the mvitation to participate in the hearings of the subcomumititec of the Connuittee on the Judiciary of the United States Senate to In- vestigate Juvenile Delinquency, aud submits the following statement with the request that it be made part of the record;

1. The Atlantic Coast Independent Distributors Association is a irade association of approximately 270 independent wholesale dis- iributors, located in 21 States in the eastern purt of the country, and in the District of Columbia, who are in the recognized, legitimate busi- ness of distributing newspapers, periodicals, magazines, and pocket- sized books to retail outlets for sale to the public.

2. There are six other such associations of independent wholesale distributors throughout the country, rewional in their membership, all of which have as one of their conmmon objectives the mutual en- liehtenment of its mentbers, the furtherance of the best interest. of the independent publishers, the improvement and standardization of methods and systems, and the development of a eloser and more inti- mate relationship between independent distributors and independent publishers.

3. There are approximately 940 wholesale distributors in the coun- try selling to more than 100,000 retailers and newsstands.

4. There are many hundreds of publishers, both lurge and small, in many instances doing busmess under many names and business forms, and in some cases publishing dozens of titles.

5. In general, all the publishers sell their products to the inde- pendent wholesale distributor through 16 national distributors, some of which are interlocked with the publishers and others of which are independent sales agencies or outlets for the publications put out by the publishers.