NOT ALEOWED TO LEAVE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3030, 17 March 1917, Page 8

NOT ALEOWED TO LEAVE

AN AUSTRALIAN COJIPIiAINT.

The statement is being made in Australia that residents of Australia visit ing New Zealand have been detained in this country under the special precautions that nave been adopted to prevent men leaving.the.country to escape military service. A published yesterday' showed that the matter had been mentioned in the federal House' of Representatives, and that the allegation seemed to be taken seriously by the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth, who promised to communicate with the New Zealandgovernment. The matter was mentioned yeTerday to the Hon G. W RoweD. who, as Minister of Internal Affairs, has.to do with the issue of permits and passports to people wishing to leave New Zealand. Mr. Russell said that he had no knowledge of any particular case. "When the formation is received from the Australian Government, inquiry will'be made he said. "It depends upon what is the definition of 'Australian citizen Hit means' someone who hved.at one time t Australia and has lived in New |ealand tor a sufficient length of time to a resident of New Zealand iintottie terms of the Military Service Act, the Government of New Zeaknd has'its own responsibility.- If, on the other hand, the case is that of a pfiison who, being a resident of Austraha, has come to New Zealand,purely on a hoMTvisit,:theNew-Zea;ana,Govern. S do™ not prevent him returning S his own counW There have been cases of people who have come to New ZeaTand and'taken up positions here In such cases thev are teprW" residents of New (> Zealand within the scope of the Act.