PROHIBITING AUSTRALIANS FROM LEAVING.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 March 1917, Page 2

PROHIBITING AUSTRALIANS FROM LEAVING.

♦ — MINISTER'S STATEMENT. 'By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, March 10. Hon. G. AV. Russell, Minister for Internal Affairs, commenting on the Melbourne cazle reporting Mr. Hughes' intention to communicate with the New Zealand Government on the subject of Australians over military age being prohibited from leaving the Dominion, said he had no knowledge of any specific case. En(|iiiiy would be made on receipt of the Australian Government's communication. Mr. Kussell said it depends upon the definition of an Australian citizen. If it means someone who lived at one time in Australia and lias lived in New Zealand for a sufficient length of time to become a resident of New Zealand under the terms of the- Military Service Act, the Government of New Zealand has its own responsibility. It, on the other hand, the case is that ot a person who, being a resident of Aus-. tralia, lias come to New Zealand, purely on a holiday visit, the New Zealand Government docs not prevent him returning to his own country. There have been cases of people who have come to Ne\v Zealand and taken up positions here. In such cases they are regarded as residents of New Zealand.