DUNEDIN GIRL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 11 October 1924, Page 15

DUNEDIN GIRL.

EXPERIENCE ENTERING THE UNITED. STATES, FELT SHE WAS A CRIMINAL. A Dunedin father hade adieu to hi: daughter three months or so ago. She was going to the United States to'be manned to a New Zealander who is settled there. The father made all the arrangements that he could think of for her entry into the United States. He had two or three persona] interviews with the . Consul in Wellington, and arranged for the issue of a passport number, this being an important matter, seeing that each country lias its quota of immigra»ts. This planning made matters easy, lie 'thought, for all parties. All that the Vancouver authorities would have to do was to cable to Wellington at the father’s expense and get a numbei that had been reserved or issued, but the arranging was spoilt by the issuing of some new regulations, the- existence of which was not known in Nev Zealand. When the Vancouver authorities cabled to Wellington, the Consul at Wellington could not issue a passport until he knew that the passenger had complied with the new regulations. The upshot was that the young lady was subjected to much annoyance, the extent cf which may he guessed after perusal of the following extracts from her letter. Vancouver, Sunday, August 24. — Yesterday we spent re the quota, etc., but with no satisfaction. I fear we are going to have some little trouble. We have to go before the hoard on Monday. If Wellington lias got me in the quota and 'reserved a number it will not be so bad, but otherwise it is useless. Monday, August 25.—1 have spent the whole morning with an immigration man, and oh! it was as if I was a criminal. The questions he asked me, and the wav he cross-examined me—it was wicked. I had to go in alone, of course, with two men present, and a girl, taking all down in shorthand. First I. had to sivear on oath, holding up my right hand, with my 'eft on the Bible, that I had signed truths and told truths, and my! He was the slowest, driest and hardest old man possible, with huge, glassy eyes and a big nose., and huge horn glasses. I shall never forget how I felt as I sat in the chair. 1 felt as if chained down with a thousand chains, and as if I had committed an awful crime. I sat twenty-eight minutes being crossquestioned all the time. He actually asked me how old mum was when I was born, and dad too, and how long yen had been married. 1 was supposed to answer these questions right at the moment. Then he said to me “I cannot do anything fo : - you,”, and he handed me a paper,’, saying that he reinsed me admission into the United States of America. Can von imagine how I felt? Tears ran down my cheek. What else con Id I do when they were not going' t.o let m. s in, and ‘ everything possible had been done for Tne hv influential men? I had been sitting there for three-quarters of an. hour, being asked Questions, and I felt as the boys say “all done in,” when this hard old fellow softened and said he was sorry, because he fully understood the position and what it meant to me. He said that all I could do was to pay a, bond of 500 dollars and go to the United States and be married ' but f would have to return in three months and report at the office. \ lot of consolation that was to me However, he asked me to sit in anl other chair for a while. Presently he got on the ’phone to> the Consul. ‘ He told the Consul that T was a special case, and he would like to consider me, and so on. I was running backwards a.nd forwards from 9.90 till .1.9-0. and I was dead tired and with no satisfaction. But, to make a lc.ng story short, Tam now “all set,” and’all vh have to do is to go ahead. T could never tell you what. I have been through.