IRKSOME QUIZ

Chronicle (Levin), 8 July 1947, Page 4

IRKSOME QUIZ

Travellers Face Sheaf Of Official; Forms ; -Even the crafty legal men of Philadelphia would be more than a jot dismayed by the sheaf of blue, ~ yellow and white forms that 'must ' be filled' up and witnessed befote an intending traveller leaves New Zealand. In the spirit' of the rusting barb wire' defences -on.our coasts, the regula.tipn barricade against . outward-bourid' New Z .-alanders is a wartime system'hot yet repealed or relaxed. ' A survey last week showed^ that, far from being relaxed, the sys-r4 cem for obtaining exit 'pefmits'"'^ from the Dominion; is knottier , than ever before. : " ' - .. Among recent victims of the system were the members of the 1947 All Black team to Australia. At the time of their departure, a newspaper report stated: "Flexing their flngers to1 relieve writer'S cramp after filling in a total. of almost 200 forms, $he. 1947 ' All Blacks are now in process'of beihg •' transported to Australia." -x

Mam worry of the outgomg.New Zealander are .five: forms, "eaph containing more than 30 "questions —over 150 queries in all — to be ahswered a month in advance Of . booking a passage. On three vpf these forms _ the information,-«.'is merely duplic'ated. A parody on the centennial year slogan, "He • who knows not Wellington, does* not New Zealand know" seems to be the motto of embarkation officialdom; thef intending traveller makes a thorough pilgrimage around the capital city in search of the required signatures. " .- The traveller who knows the ropes (or the regulations) goes first to one end of Wellington to tlie Internal Affairs Department to obtain an application to leave New Zealand. His reasons have to ' be vouched for by a magistrate, Justice of the Peace, solicitor,' bank manager,. responsible Governmeiit official, or a responsible. citizeii. By tram, taxi or private car tlie traveller goes to the other end of the city to obtain an application form for taxation clearance. This comes from the Land and Inccjiue Tax Department, and ensures that the taxpayer-turnedvtraveller has paid his income tax, even though as a mere taxpayer he can iiave received an assessment, a demand and a summons to encourage hiin to pay his taxes. . Should the traveller be seeking"-a passage to countries other than Australia, Samoa or the Cook Islands, a declaration has to be- made to obtain a passport, -which must bear a photograph cut-to official dimensions. Incidentally, sympathy should not be wasted-on Uie All Blacks — they were not requhjjed to get passports. With the foregoing oufc; of the way, the traveller might think he sights the open sea. It is only- 0, mirage. Next there are Custoiiis and financial forms to be obtained and filled in. The declaratioh '.by travellers respecting money and securities they are taking ;out 'of the country is held to be U. coiitplete farce. The regulatidns lay down that a traveller must/npt take out of the country more th^fi £NZ5 in notes and £2 in. silvet vhen embarking for a short destination. ' ?-:J Presumably his regulation- ' respecting relatives are expect- .; ed .to send him food parceis. r; after the £7 runs out. : /•;. Blase travellers and ship'pihg clerks state, however, that thejs.e regulations are rarely adhered to, and travellers are seldom questioii't ed after making their statemOnt jn the necessary form. " Some of the questions on.the 'ip.7 olication for a permit to leave 'New Zealand appear %ighly superflu6"us, of not fatuous. For instancel' Occupation, Present residence, Pre§r ent employer, whether never- niaf> ried, married (and date of' mdrriage), divorced. widower. -.or widow, and Are wife or husband and children going , with you1? 3ossibilities of; simplification, su(3i as those enacted at the behest of VTr. Ernest Bevin in the UiiiteH Kingdom, would appear possible ;iii the foregoing. Travel and shipping authorities consider that more cohesion between Government departmeiits an.d shipping companies would iron out many snarls in the system. Unnecessary anxiety, worry and trial in obtaining permits to travel, fall particularly hard on older people unused to official rigmaroles, and for businessmen cause a great waste of time. The system earns additional absurdity at the present time, too, when the shipping scarcity imposes an exacting restraint on travel away from the Dominion. There seems little need to run #a barrier of regulations around would-be globe-trotters. This review of unnecessary re« strictions on travel takes no account of the capricious human f actor : The cases where "Mr. Somebody or other is out, and only he can issue the form — come back at 11 o'clock,". etc. Nor is any mention made of ration book formalities, and other odds and ends. But things could always be worse, as witness the case of a New Zealand manufacturer who visited Australia towards the end of the war. He spent two days clewing ud formalities in Melbourne, and before he left, found himself mannowered to an essential industry in the Commonwe'alth. His call-up ' followed him to New Zealand. Jie ^dr't go back. Do you wonder why? . .