Page:1954 Juvenile Delinquency Testimony.pdf/66

54 Now, frankly, I do think that there are some differences even in the material itself. In preparation for these hearings we also reviewed for example, I have here two reprints of Nick Carter, which were very popular during an earlier era,

Senator. That was the so-called dime novels of our father's time.

Mr. . That is right. Its reputation in its own day would indicate it is really rather tame reading compared to this kind of material. This is really mucli more lurid material.

Then it would seem to me, of course, that the pictorial presentation and all of the vivid colors and so on represent something that is dif- ferent.

Finally, the only other difference that I can point to would be the fact that tlus ts very widely available at 10 cents a copy on newsstands every where.

That is, not only is it avatlable, but the youngster does not have to seck it out. The materia] is there ready to he picked up and urged upon him at every turn.

Senator. Wasn't that true of the dime novel. You re- member the Horatio Alger books also pictured the hero as forswearing the dime novels. He did not ne them up on the stands as he went through the Bowery area in New York. He didn't read the dime novels or go to the Bowery Theater.

But they were available, too, were they not?

Mr. . Certainly they were rather readily avialable to the youngster, but one point I would like to make is that I am not at all sure, and I certainly would not want to say that the material to which you refer wus not also possibly at any rate detrimental te cer- tain youngsters of that generation, too.

In other wards, as the one point I made, the experts agree that none of this material, either Nick Carter or the comics, would make a well adjusted and well socialized youngster go out and commit a crime.

On the other hand, this material may have given suggestion and sanction 25 or 30 or 40 years ago to a youngster who may have read it, just as exactly these kinds of materials may have given support and sanction to youngsters of this generation.

The. Senator Kefauver.

Senator. Mr. Clendenen, these are sent throngh the mails, shipped by express, or delivered by truck?

Mr. . Although the majority of these have a second- elass mailing permit, actually very few of them move througli the muils, Most of these are shipped by cither freight or express. Tt is acheaper way of transporting them than through ustug the mails.

Senator. In any event, the Post Office Department has taken it as a rule that the obscene and the indecent statutes as to the use of the mail does not prohibit the dissemination of these by mail.

Mr. . No, sir; I think the facts of the matter are that they have not ruled. Actually, these do not move through the mail.

As T understand it, and now T cannot qualify as any expert here, but I understand they do rule only npon materials—well, they would rule upon materials at the time the permit was granted, but 6 months later they would nat, be ruling, you see, upon matrials that were cur- rently being published because they were not moving through the mail.