SHIRKERS & PERMITS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2621, 17 November 1915, Page 6

SHIRKERS & PERMITS

THE MEN WHO RUN AWAY i, 1 I THE GOVERNMENT SCHEME \ ——• STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER. The form of application for permits to leave Now Zealand required of all males was made available by the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. G. W. Russell) yesterday. The form of tho application for permit provides for particulars being given as to the oeoupation, last residence and omployor, and if married the names of wife and children of tho applicant. If a man's family is not leaving with him the reasons and their moans of support have to be stated. The following details have also to be given: Place of birth, nationality, length of residence in New Zealand, age last birthday, reasons for leaving New Zealand, personal description, and persons to whom reference can bo made. The signature has to be witnessed by a Collector of Customs, postmaster, or police officer.

The permit itself will state the period for which a person is allowed to leave New Zealand and give his name, nationality and birthplace, occupation, age, and personal description. It has to be signed by the Minister of Internal Affairs.

Reference was made to . the scheme generally by the Minister last night. "The object is," he said, "to let all shirkers know .that tho Government are determined, while placing 110 difficulties in the way of any person going abroad for good reasons shown, to see that at least a full record is taken of all those, for it is alleged that thero aro thoso who are trying to leavo the country in order to avoid the responsibilities of citizenship. It is *iie intention to refuse to grant permits if the circumstances warrant. One of the matters under consideration is whether every person who applies for a permit to leave will not have his application at once checked with his national register card in order that we may discover how faille has fulfilled his legal obligations in that respect.

"Tho scheme will cover tho entire country, and will not apply only to the largo norts like Auckland, Wellington, and Bluff, which are the chief terminal ports of call for intercolonial steamers. It will apply also to tho smaller ports, like Kaiparaand Greymoutb,_from which timber-laden vessels leave New Zealand from time to time. There may be emergency cases of men compelled by strong circumstances to niake an early departure from New Zealand. To.meet these 'emergency cases the Internal Affairs Department will by using the telegraph, and by the aid of the police and the Inspectors of' Customs, make provision so that there shall bo no real hardship in any genuine case. At the same time it will bo quite useless for peoplo to think tlia't permits will, apply only to large ports of embarkation, because the Department will cover the wholo country m its operations in order to give full' effect to the Order-in-Council."

Asked whether it would be the policy of tho Government to refuse permits to men of military age going on.pleasure trips, Mr. Russell said this would bo for Cabinet to settlo as a matter of policy. Cases might c-ccur in which refusal might be considered desirable. As ho had said on a previous occasion, tho National Government had been formed to deal with questions from an Imperial 'point of view during the war, and the Government would not shrink from any duty it folt called upon to perform in the interests of the Empire, to enable New Zealand to fulfil its responsibility as 'part of the Empire.