PASSPORTS FOR WOMEN

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3000, 10 February 1917, Page 10

PASSPORTS FOR WOMEN

TO BE SEVERELY RESTRICTED, A: corruspondent writes to ask who ther tho restriction of the number of women leaving New Zealand will apply to those women whose husbands are serving with the Forces,.and whether t'neir case will be'regarded as "exceptional." The letter was yesterday brought under the notice of the Minister of Internal. Affairs (the Tlon. G. W. Russell), .who made tho following statement on the subject:— "For- the present passports to leava New Zealand will be granted only to (1) Nurses sent forward for duty. (2) Women who may be sent forward for other war work. (3) Women whose cases are of-special necessity, on account, for instance, of health or domestic circumstances. "In all other cases passports will be refused. The desire of u, wife of a member of the Forces to rejoin her husband, or tho intention of a young woman to go Howe to be married to a member of the Forces, will not. be considered a sufficient reason for the granting of a passport. The records show that direct liners recently have been patronised very-freely by women and children. Out of 2GO passengers whosailed in a ship that recently left our shores, only 34 wore males. It is nob considered desirable that such a condition of things should be continued, and therefore it has heen -determined 1o restrict most severely the issue of passports to women,-and this for reasons that miist be evident. "At the present time throughout the wholo Empire there is only one consideration that counts, and- that is—how to win the war. However unpleasant it may bo, people must make up their minds that anything that will at present hamper the mercantile mariao ser-; vice, and give • additional cause for anxiety to the naval authorities must be eliminated. And this policy/will be pursued until the war'is over. For many months past the issue of passports and permits to ni?n has-been most severely restricted,-and the time has come now .when the women of the country must bear their share of-simi-lar restrictions." ■