The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1960-02-05

that any new anll-oDScenlty
law will give Postmaster Gen
eral Arthur Symmetrical long
sought new administrative
powers in his campaign to
keep pornography out of the
mails.
Congress may also act to
increase penalties for distrl-
buting obscenity. A composite
bill which would both put new
punch into the Summerfield
drive and provide sitter pun
ishment for violators is a pos
sibility.
This is the present picture
In Congress:
The Senate Juvenile De-
lirqueney and Constitutional
Amendments subcommittee
have concluded Joint hearings
on an anti obscenify bill and
two proposed constitutional
amendments guaranteeing the
right of states 70 act against
ohseenitY.
A major proeedvraI road
block has been removed to
consideration by the Senate
Post Office and Civil Service
Committee of a House approV-
ed obseenity bill.
A House postal sUbcom.
mittee is rsadyins early
February hearings on self
policing deceney programs in
the movie and publishing in
dusfries, with special emphasi:
on Iurid movie advertising.
Several measures to in
crease penalties for mailing
obscene material are pending
before the House Judiciary
Committee, but no immediate
action on them is foreseen.
The recent Senate hearings
on the obscenity problem were
conducted under the joint
Craftsmanship of Sen. Estes
Kefauver of Tennessee, chair
man of the Juvenile Delin-
queney Subcommittee. and
Sen. Thomas c. Hennings, Jr,
OF Missouri, head of the Con-
stitutional Amendments Sub
committee.
New legislation studied by
the subcommittee was a bill
introduced last year by Sen.
Kefauver which would extend
from 20 to AS days the time
the Post Office Department
may impound mail addressed
to persons suspected of mail
ing obscene material. The
mail is impounded while the
Post Office is determining
whether there has been an
actual violation Of the law.
IMPoUNDlNG MAIL cuts
off distributors from the prof
its Of their operation, postal
officials have explained. They
seek extension of the time
limit because, they contend,
it is virtually impossible to
complete administrative steps
in a suspected mail order OBJ
scenity case within the pres
ent 20-day limit.
The Kefauver bill Is. 2562)
would also increase penalties
for yiolators of anti-obscenity
laws. 1t would make both a
fine and Jail sentence manda-
tory for third and succeeding
offenseS.
Also under consideration by
the Kefauver and Hennlngs
subcommittee were two pro-
posed constitutional amend
ments which would guarantee
the right of states to define
obscenity and legislate against
it.
THE PROPOSED amend
ments were introduced as a
reaction against a ruling by
the u. S. Supreme Court last
June which struck down a
New York State ban on the
film Lady Chatte rley's
Lover" Neither is expected to
win general senate endorse.
ment.
Pending before the Senate
Post Office and Civil Service
Committee is a bill enacted by
the House during the last ses-
sion Of Congress. The measure
CHR. 1879. whose chief spon-
sor is Rep. Kathryn L. Grana.
han Of Pennsylvania, stream
lines Post Office administra-
tive procedures in dealing
with alleged smut distrlbu-
tors. II has Won the specific
endorsement of Post Office
spokesman.
Like the Kefauyer bill, it
extends the maximum time
limit for impounding mail
from 20 to as days. But it con-
tains other provisions which
the Kefauver bill does not
have. These provisions would:
Change the standard for
extending an impending or
der beyond as days from
necessary TO the effective
enforcement Of the section"
TO one of public interest"
Permit courts TO reverse
an impounding order only II
fha plaintiff could show the
order had been issued arbi-
frarily and caprieiously.
Specify that the Post Of
fees final ruling in a mail
ability case be appealed TO a