GETTING BACK TO N.Z. NOT SO EASY

Chronicle (Levin), 7 November 1947, Page 5

GETTING BACK TO N.Z. NOT SO EASY

Received Thursdav, 9.0 p.m. LOXDOX, Nov. 6. The opinion that too many Xew Zealand visitors to Britain are endeavourmg to "pull the strings" in order to o'tiiain priority return passages and that iiy so doing they were unnecessanJy complicttting the shipping situation, was expressed by Mr. W. J. Jordan in an interview. "The shipping situation is realG ucsperate, " said Mr. .Jordan. ''The saipping companies informed me that ctieir waiting list is now over 20,000 and Uiat it is being added to at the rate oi 300 to 400 weekly. Everv day we gei slieafs of letters from people wanting priorities and many of them are from comparatively recently arrived ' Xew Zealanders who have come over here realising they aren't entitled to apply xor a return passage in less than two years. Evidently some of these people believe'that anyone who has any infiuence can get them early priorities with the shipping companies. I caiinot stress too strongly that they eannot reiy 011 reasons, excuses or infiuence to secure preferenlial trealinent." Mr. Jordan sgid that the position had become so serious that various Doiiiinions' Iligli Commissioners in London hau jonuiy agreed they would not make special wiftten representations to shipping companies on behalf of any applicants whatever. "If I wrote to shipping companies on behalf of a quarter of those who ask me to do so, they would represent far more than the' available ships can

lioid, " said the High Commissioner. ' ' I know many of them want to see their loved ones, to attend to business or to take a iong deferred holiday, but i am afraid they must reaiise that if they do that aud come to Britain at present, they must be prepared to stay Mere a considerable time. If 1 had my way I would put them all iirsit but 1 eannot do that." Enquines sliow that the waiting time for passages from Britain to Kew Zealand has not increased to two years. A tevv months ago it had shortened to one year but a recent rush of appiieations has added thousands to it during the past few months. Mr. Jordan made it plain that if special priorities were ( asked for from Xew Zealand, they could be given only at the exjiense of inimigration.