PASSPORTS FOR WOMEN.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 180, 29 July 1916, Page 6

PASSPORTS FOR WOMEN.

TWO STEAMERS EXEMPTED. NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT INQUIRE. NEED FOR RECIPROCITY. News was received by the Auckland Passport Oflice Ibis morning that no information lias yet been obtained by tbe Department of luternal Affairs; from tbe Commonwealth authorities as to the proposal of the Australian Government to refuse to allow women to leave or land from New Zealand after August 1 without a passport or permit. In the meantime* advice has born received that women wishing to leave Auckland for Sydney by the' Victoria on Monday will not require a permit or passport of any. description, so that no application to the local office is necessary. Passengers by the Niagara, due from Sydney on August 8 arc also exempt from the provisions of the regulation. A curious position exists in regard to those wishing to travel to South Africa. In New Zealand it is thought sufficient to give permits only to those wishing tn travel to South Africa, while in Australia a full and properly authorised passport is demanded. It is pointed out by the shipping companies interested that this may cause annoying complications for passengers. The passenger who leaves New Zealand cannot get a proper passport, but is issued with a permit. If he leaves New Zealand for South Africa via Australia it is possible that in the Commonwealth he will be unable to proceed owing to his not being in possession of the required passport. A difficulty foreseen is that should such a position- arise it might be troublesome for a New Zealander to establish his credentials in Australia.

Some misconception seems to exist as to the difference between a passport and a permit. In the first place the permit is required by a passenger to enable him to leave tbe Dominion, nnd the passport to facilitate his passage on arrival at his destination overseas. The passport is not a sufficient authority to allow a passenger to hoard ship to leave the Dominion, and once overseas the permit is of no use without the passport.