The first chance we ect we open it wp and we put it out on the stand. Then until our attention is exlled we don’t ever know we have those books sometimes.
The average news dealer is always so busy getting his latest editions and eetting through with his work, that half the time he doesn’t know what he gets until he staris checking up to pay the bill. Then he reilizes what he gets.
Now, when we protest about some of these books we are told that “Unless you buy these hooks, you cannot get the other leading books.” Many times we have been eut off and threatened and harrassed,
The Chairman. When you refer, Mr. Freedman, to “these books,” you are talking about books such as you see before you on exhibit here?
Mr. Freedman. Yes, sir; some of these books, sex hooks and books that are net fit to be on public newsstands. We have no way of fight- ing this.
Mr. Beaser. You say you no longer carry these, though.
Mr. Freedman. I for one don’t. Some of them do. But most of them since that Just investigation have done away with it, particularly these members of our association.
The Chairman. By the last investigation, yon mean the last ap- pearance of this committee in the city of New York?
Mr. Freedman. Yes, sir; they are being handled now as we call it “uidereround;” the secondhand bookstores get them and these fly-by- night dealers and peddlers. They are sold in automobiles, some of them near high scheals and some went ont of town. Most of them are secondhand bookstores that are getting most of that stuff.
Mr. Beaser. You say as a result of the hearings we have held here many of the dealers in New York City have notified their wholesalers they will no longer carry those?
Mr. Freedman. That is right.
Mr. Beaser. Have there been any retributions?
Mr. Freedman. There are some threats. We can’t tell you exactly llow many stopped carrying them, but a small percentage I wil] say.
Mr. Beaser. Have stopped completely?
Mr. Freedman. Yes.
Mr. Beaser. Have they been cut off from any of the other kinds of magazines?
Mr. Freedman. Some of them have been cut off and some of them have been hurt some other way.
For instance, if a bundle is to come in, Jet us say, Thursday at 6 o'clock in the morning, a certain distributor has a package. Those that have returned their horror comic books, instead of getting theirs at 6, they get theirs at 11 o’elock. He will make that the last stop. Everybody else has his books sold.
Mr. Beaser. When you say bundle, what would appear on a typical bundle?
Mr. Freedman. It is just tted up with a Jot of wire. It takes a little time te open up. You just can't open it and check. It is wire alf around. When you open it up, there is your bundle; you don’t. know what is there until the driver is gone.
Mr. Beaser. That is not all comic books?
Mr. Freedman. No; it is all tied in together.
The Chairman. How big is this bundle?
