FOREIGN CONSULS IN DOMINION.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20789, 24 February 1933, Page 13

FOREIGN CONSULS IN DOMINION.

«-■— w a|AN Y VARIED DUTIES. BUSINESS INFORMATION SUPPLIED. Vmontf the manji duties of members /the foreign consular scrvico in New Zealand aro t hc compilation and dis- ,„), to their Governments of detailed and" elaborate reports of business conations and even of individual busin,,sfa throughout the Dominion. The tfnited States consular representatives, robably the most hard worked of their ' f e6S ion in New Zealand, send back to their Department of State minute and interesting particulars of these matton as well as confidential reports i- which are filed by tho Department. ' Tho members of tho consular service jn y ew Zealand havo far more varied md important duties to perform than seems to be generally realised by the * average citizen. Tho consul of the novelists is usually engaged in calling on the fleet or the air force to rescue the hero and heroine, and carryipg out tho routine work of his office. I In New Zealand the consuls' work, parj tieularly when they represent one of of the larger powers, is of tho first ; importance. Swenty-flve Powers Kepresentod. t Altogether 25 foreign powers are rei presented in New Zealand, 10 of which " wad their own representatives to tho i Dominion, the rest being represented ,■ j,y well-known business men. Many of U th«W« countries havo their own nationals I u consuls either in Wellington or f ineklana, and New Zealanders as !• rice-consuls or consular agents in the L< other eitlas. For example, tho United I'' Btates lias its consul-general in Wei- ; ttogton, Mr Calvin M. Hitch, another ! «rasul in Auckland, Mr Walter P. Boyle, both of whom aro Americans, I ■ and consular-agents in Christehureh f aad Ihmedin, Messrs H. P. Bridge and i Human Beeves respectively. ■ Tho consuls and vice-consuls who s §rs aotually members of the civil sert- , Vieo of their various countries are i ' fcuoivn as consuls of career —that is to I ..." jay, tie/ are eligible for promotion in ! " the service, so that it is within the | bounds of possibility that a consul who ! ' has been stationed in New Zealand may ! one day occupy the embassy in Paris i • 6r London or New York. The members i of the service who aro not actually \ . officers' of the country's civil service ' j and who are usually consular agents, are ", sot, of course, ablo to gain promotion, 1 though, they arc governed by all the ■ roles and regulations of tho service in ; v, widen they are employed. Ho Consular Corps Here. In Auckland, Wellington, and Dunedin consular corps have been in existence for some years, chiefly duo to v ' tho efforts of M. Paul Serre, formerly consul for "France, and well known ; throughout New Zealand. He was the h first Dean of tho Auckland Corps, an ' honour that he held until his recent retirement. Efforts havo been made to e form a similar body in Christehureh, V, but so far they hare been unsuccessful. |ji Xh the other three centres the corps K transacts a certain amount of official FV boainma for iti members, is represented iiyjj, at official functions, and generally acts (3 for its members in those matters of ebremoninJ which still form part of a •WWfiaPff duties. : Ami what arc the duties of a consul? It wittld not be true to' say that ho is Llwtfjy a commercial agent for his coun- , try> though commercial enquiries and ffWWr 3 occupy a good deal of hi? yflp ijegia with, ho is, in every > '.4gafee> the representative of his counr : by it New Zealand, and, as such, he ftto- not only to supply information to ' 'faaj flo'veramont, but must also be pre■ip P**** *° assist private individuals and E|J«apmtaitions. Bij' Krobably the United States Consu;'p l*rSetvieo is one of the hardest worked .■lll 'MlpnUtation.s of its kind in the Doi# Won, Mr 11. P. Bridge, tho United IfejgJf ß * vice-consul in Christehureh, yesi|"!P|ra»y gave a reporter of «'The Press" W 4 * regarding the work 'ife-' - * **' a offlcc » antl it waa ve *"y P lain jPwP that his position Tva» ffleaas a sinecure. jifev-' 1 - Certificate!} of Exports. ot *" B principal duties is the au'pIf^Eltf g °* certificates for statistical and M|WWa purposes with all goods exIpPPtt from Canterbury to the United a[|ffnhK Tlicso have to be accompanied that the goods are free Sags'..disease. Also he has to provide ffißWi itf health to all vessels calling at jSptftttttoit and going on to United States g-jffKß or through tho Panama Canal or the consular agent is, Jllljf'lMSnrae, in charge of all passport |iJW™S and it is he ifliQ issues visas |»W !i «ing visits to his country. Tho 1 llaSf- States representatives havo to pPß™*fe*er all the complicated details Hil*' l u<>ta regulations which control pil||J;e*t i 'y of aliens into America, and B3L&3E?. vo,umc oC flJ ed instructions in office bears witness to lie has to deal with. iride of his duties which occupies part of the consul's time, Ki^! 8V ' tr ' ** undoubtedly the commercial JSvery year he receives hun- *' enquiries from United States :l;f|'N*~ l *i'e()nesLs for information about f ,sws? -Zealand firms, requests for the SgSf* possible agents for American ffifffiffi* 8 ' 6vcn requests for him to aet SgOflKacas agent in completing private Iffpff * WOC)n firms in the two countries. Business Information. &||M|s Edition the consul must aet as fflP *or the World Trade Directory V the United States Departlitlf** ef State. He sends questionnaires i!i]W» tho ilrrns in his district doing lllilpCßfl overseas and in most cases him with information not wmWw to bo published in the directory [* confidential yiformation, which by the department. In Bomo 00, the consul adds confidential ■tion on his own aecount about rm or business. I any ship under United States :.is in port it comes under tho tion of the consul and cannot l or discharge any members of w except through his office. 5} Mr Bridge had to preside at uiry hi to an incident on an in ship which occurred* in Lyttelr year ropurti on industry and oe> in Canterbury, on the crops, iftber during the" year, and busi>»pcets in general are supplied by age and forwarded to the United Finally, bo a .-Is .as friend and to Americans in Christehureh or *ery, endeavours, to traqe missing or relative!* in response to enfrou. the United States, and with as much politeness as Wle under the circumstances ro|tom eager stamp collectors for «* of American stamps, wtedly the American consular .la the hardest worked In New »mn the oUrer hcrvk-es all do gwttrk, thougtt perhaps not on