LADIES' PIPE BAND.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 25, 30 January 1926, Page 14

LADIES' PIPE BAND.

DIFFICULTIES NOT SETTLED. MINISTER EXPLAINS POSITION. A further chapter of the troubles of the Australian Ladies' Pipe Band, now in Auckland, was revealed this morning. It seems that it was the Commonwealth Government, and not the Canadian Government, that hindered members of the band in their desire to proceed from New Zealand overseas. .Latest advice shows that the band is to disband, owing to insurmountable difficulties confront" ing , its members. "It is not correct, as stated in some quarters," said the Hon. R. F. Bollard, Minister in charge of the Passport Department, "that the New Zealand or Canadian Governments have placed obstacles in the way of the band in the I desire of its members to proceed abroad; I also, the statement that the bond requirements are those of the Canadian Government. The position is simply this: shortly after the band landed in the Dominion the Australian authoriI ties asked that passports should not be issued until the parents' consent to each minor member travelling abroad had been obtained and a satisfactory local surety furnished on the basis dfi £50, each member guaranteeing repatriation in the event of strandine. The latest advice received by the Government is that the band was to disband, that seven members have decided to return to Australia, and that the remaining eleven desire to go to Canada, as individuals. The parents' consent in regard to minors has been furnished, but a cablegram was received yesterday from I Melbourne asking for full particulars regarding the members of the band desiring to proceed abroad, the object of travel, and whether the Department of Internal Affairs was satisfied that they are in possession of funds which will ensure maintenance, repatriation, etc. Further inquiries are now being made." Mr. Bollard f added that if assurance 'satisfactory "to the Commonwealth I Government were given by the mem■bers of the band desiring to travel abroad, no doubt all difficulties would Ibe cleared away.