| Show Local Postmaster Reports Progress I In n Campaign Against Smut Mail To Youth Postmaster Andrew J J. J Judd reports that the P Po Post o s t Of Office Office Of- Of fice flee Departments Department's drive to stamp out the activities of merchants In filth who solicit minor children children children chil chil- dren for the order mall sale of obscene materials is making substantial headway Postmaster General Arthur E. E E Summerfield he states is taking taking taking tak tak- ing increasingly effective action against this growing nationwide nationwide nationwide nation nation- wide racket Postmaster General SummerfIeld Summerfield Summer Summer- field has notified the local postmaster postmaster post post- master muster that during the fiscal year which ended June 30 1959 the Post Office Department conducted conducted con con- ducted more than separate separate separate separ separ- ate investigations of traffic in mail order obscenity of which approximately were based on complaints from parents aroused aroused aroused a- a roused to the menace presented by the vicious arrogance of the smut racketeers Actual arrests during the year according to Judd totaled a significant increase over the previous year and al almost almost almost al- al most double the number of ar arrests arrests ar- ar rests during 1957 when the Post PostOffice PostOffice PostOffice Office Department was still h hampered by inadequate en enforcement enforcement enforcement en- en legislation Prior to the summer of 1958 antiquated laws and liberal court interpretations Postmaster Postmaster Postmaster Post Post- master General Summerfield prefers to call them misinterpretations misinterpretations required that even the most blatant profiteer sending sending sending send send- ing the vilest possible material through the mails to school-age school children could be prosecuted only at the point or origin of the mail usually New York or Los Angeles According to Postmaster Judd the liberal in these ties established a definition of obscenity far different from views held by the majority in inmost inmost inmost most normal American lUes In 1958 the Postmaster General General General Gen Gen- eral recommended new legislation legislation legislation legisla legisla- tion to the Congress which would permit prosecution of such racketeers at the point where the mail was received and where the actual attempt to corrupt childrens' childrens moral and so social social social so- so cial health took place Congress promptly responded to the Postmaster Postmaster Postmaster Post Post- master Generals General's plea and translated translated trans trans- the recommendations into law Postmaster Judd r reports e p o 0 r t s that this new legislation is now beginning to bear fruit The first case prosecuted under the new laws was of a man and his wife on the West Vest Coast who were mailing obscene literature to youngsters in Boise Idaho Thanks to the new law ac according according according ac- ac cording to Postmaster Judd these two were convicted in Boise and sentenced to 10 years behind bars plus a heavy fine In another recent California case a year 10 prison sentence was imposed on a criminal of offender offender offender of- of fender convicted of sending ob obscene obscene obscene ob- ob scene material through the mall mail in contrast to so many previous cases in that area when probation probation probation proba proba- tion had been granted Postmaster General Summerfield Summerfield Summerfield Summer- Summer field pointed out in a recent speech This represents in our opinion real progress of the type which can readily be ex expanded expanded expanded ex- ex so long as we have de determined determined determined de- de public support prompt and positive investigation and vigorous prosecution Postmaster Judd states that the Postmaster General and the Post Office Department attribute attribute attribute bute this progress to the broad support for the campaign being given by the nations nation's newspapers newspapers pers hers and radio end and television commentators public spirited civic organizations members of Congress and more and more individual citizens Their efforts according to the Postmaster General are not only alerting the public but are arousing arousing arousing a- a rousing judges and law enforcement enforcement enforcement enforce enforce- ment officers to act firmly against against against a- a the menace this traffic in filth presents to the healthy and decent development of the nations nation's youth |
