PASSPORTS & PERMITS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2839, 2 August 1916, Page 6

PASSPORTS & PERMITS

',:,\::A :• ;; NEW CONDITIONS ;.. STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER, The Hon. G. : W. Russoll, ■ Minister of Internal - Affairs, made the following statement,to the Press yesterday on the subject of the issue of passports and permits:— . ■ "In consequence of cablegrams from . Sydney in the New Zealand papers of ' 28 stating that the authorities had notified the shipping companies that from August 1 no women would be allowed to' leave for or land ;..'••!'";-■ from New Zealand without a permit or passport, the Government cabled to the frimo Minister of Australia, asking for . ■ dehnite information with regard to the f position, and pointing out that consid- ,.'.- .'• erable inconvenience' would. be' caused •..- '.'unless- time were given for'adjustments '■i-.* 0 ' >e made in the present .arrangements, ;\ :: a3.'at:present women aren'ot required to ..i'Obtaih passports on leaving New Zealand .//•except '■ for. the purpose of' landing in . ,'v~ Great Britain.' ;.;■■ . : vi'.' . v ' f -4''-, re Plr -ttow been received from . : ,';'-,< the.'PrlriM' Minister, of the -Common- ! ~-,.Wealth,,stahiig that the new regulations Require all persons, including women en- ; ;-,,tering the Commonwealth after Septem- ■'■;■■-■ ber' 1 to be in possession •of passports, '; , and all persons, including women, leaving the Commonwealth after August 1 ■■;.; .'/.to be in possession of passports. In tho, ......■:-■' case of New Zealand, however, the.existing arrangements in regard to the issue , : < ! ■'..'; of permits for persons travelling betwee'n ~- Australia,and New Zealand only is pre- ■ ■■• served. The intention of the Common- ' .wealth Government in making these new •-',-/' regulations is to secure control over all. .persons passing thi-ongn Australian ports . en route to New Zealand and to other . { countries, the idea being that all such . ' .persons.should hare passports. ..;_ "Although the now regulations are in . •/ .force as from yesterday, the Coramon;.wealth Government has intimated that \' ■ jt is prepared to meet tho Now Zealand , Government in any oases where com- ■: pliance with the new conditions would ■■•. -\ cause hardship,.and that'in'.such enscs instructions -would be given exempting ■passengers from bearing passports.- The main object of the Commonwealth is to. enable a more effective check to be kept ~., i onall oversea passengers. \ ■ . "The effect of the new regulations is ■V that from yesterday all persons, malo ■■■; and female, travelling 'from New Zea- ;..; landand passing through Commonwealth V; .' .ports en route to other., countries, must .-;.,,■. ..have,passports, and that from September ~',-,.■.1 air women from New Zealand proceed- -,. ing to Australia only must have permits. . ■ "The Department is making arrangc■V' ' ments ,to minimise the' inconvenience that is likely to be caused by these regulations'having been bvought in sud- :.'.'... denly, and, immediately steps will be taken to amend the New Zealand Regula- -..■■'. tlons in order to meet tho conditions set up by the introduction of these hew ■'■-..': Commonwealth provisions." ■ . .:.■;"■„ i' The French Procedure. . . " .-■ The. Minister of Internal Affairs (the ; Eon. G.-AV. Russell) has, made'the fol- ■ ■: lowing statement in regard to passports .',; for Fi-enoh possessions:—. •'■'■' .'■•'!• ;; Advice has recently been received that 7 ■■-.■■; persons desiring'to visit France or French colonies and possessions must 'bo. pro-' .'. ;.i vided with a passport which-must be ~,;■; vised by.tho Consul for Franco at Auck- .';■-. land, tho Consular Agents not having the • - power to do so. It is understood that ■ travellers have in some cases had their ■ : passports vised-by the Consul for Franco .in Sydney. From recent advice it ap- ■ ; pears, however, that this is now imprac- . : ticable, as the Commonwealth authorities collect all passports from New Zealanders on their arrival in Sydney, and'do not return 'them until' the traveller is about to : leave the Commonwealth. It would therefore' save travellers a large amount .'-..■ of inconvenience if, when applying for : . their, passports, they leave not only suffi.cient time for the inquiries to bo made ...before a. passport can, be issued, approxi- ,, ■;.-... mately a fortnight, but also leave them- .'.■ selves sufficient time after receiving the . , passport to send .it to 'the French Consul v in Auckland, in ..order that it may be ■;:\ vised.by him. - ■ " -.