PASSPORTS & PERMITS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2633, 2 December 1915, Page 6

PASSPORTS & PERMITS

ADVICE TO TRAVELLERS

STATEMENT BY MINISTER

A clear statement was made by the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. G. AV. Russell) yesterday, regarding tho issue of passports and permits to travellers leaving' Netv Zealand. "The new instruction that has come from Homo that nobody will be allowed to land in Great Britain without a passport means," said Mr. Russell, "that every person proceeding from New Zealand to the Mother "i Country will iii future require a passport. It is just as well that people should thoroughly understand this,. otherwise travellers will find themselves held up or placed in a very invidious position when they get to the, other side of the world. A police report has to be obtained regarding every applicant for a passport, and every application has to be accompanied by a photograph of the person applying —this for purposes of . identification. From these rules there is absolutely no departure. If the results of the, police inquiries are satisfactory, a recoinmejidation goes.on from this Department to His Excellency the Governor, who signs the passport. Not, only is it imperative that persons going to England should first obtain passports, but it is very desirable that people visiting America should have ■ them. The examination system of the United States authorities, regarding every person arriving in tho country is exceedingly thorough. Tlio6o travellers who have passports, however, are at once accepted as desirable immigrants, but those who have not have to submit to a very thorough' and searching examination, and are required in many cases to substantiate verbal statements by documentary or other .evidence.

"Of course all this has nothing to do with our" permits. All males who wish to leave Now Zealand for' any destination must get permits before they will be permitted to leave. A man who wishes to go to Great Britain requires first of all a permit to enable-him to leave New Zealand, and a passport to enable him to land in Great Britain. In England the new rule is that every person leaving for any destination, British or must have a passport before being allowed to leave. ■ That rule is not in force here, as it is not deemed necessary. The Internal Affairs Department has nothing to do with applications for passports until these applications are sent in. If persons who ought to have passports do not apply for them the responsibility is not ours. The responsibility for obtaining a passport rests upon the person who should obtain it, and if anyone is so foolish as to go on without a passport he will hove to submit to suoh inconvenience as may arise." i