SHIRKERS AND PERMITS.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 November 1915, Page 7

SHIRKERS AND PERMITS.

THE HEX WHO RUN AWAY. THE GOVERNMENT SCHEME. STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER. The form of application for permits to leave New Zealand required of all males has been made available Tiv the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. G W. Russell). The form oE the application for per-! Mit provides for particulars being given as to the occupation, last residence and employer, and if married the names of wife and children of the applicant. If a man's family is not leaving with him the reasons and their moan 9 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 be 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 Affaire. Reference was made to the scheme generally by the Minister last night. '•The object is," he said, "to let all (hirkers know that the Government are determined, while placing no 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 there are those who arc trying to leave the country in order to avoid the responsibilities of citizenship. Tt is the intention to refuse permits if the circumstances warrant. One of the 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 far he has fulfilled his legal obligations in that respect. "The scheme will cover the entire country, and will not apply only to the large ports like Auckland, Wellington, and Bluff, which are the chief terminal ports of call for intercolonial steamers. It will apply also to the smaller ports, like Kaipara and Greymouth, from which timber-laden vessels leave JCew Zealand from time to time. There may be emergency cases of men compelled by strong circumstances to make 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 Inspector of Customs, make provision so that there shall be no real hardship in any genuine case. At the same time it will be quite useless for people to think that permits will apply only to large ports of embarkation, because the Department will cover the whole country in its operations in order to give full effect to the Order-in-Council." Asked whether it would be the policy of the Government to refuse permits to men of military age going on pleasure trips, Mr. Russell said this would he for Cabinet to settle as a matter of policy. Cases might occur in which refusal might be considered desirable. As he had said on a previous occasion, the National Government had been formed to deal with questions from an Imperial point of view during the waA and the Government would not shrink from any duty it felt called upon to perform in the interests of the Empire, to enable New Zealand to fulfil its responsibility as part of the Empire.