VISITORS TO THE OLD COUNTRY

Nelson Evening Mail, 12 February 1917, Page 2

VISITORS TO THE OLD COUNTRY

PASSPORTS FOR WOMEN. STRINGENT RESTRICTIONS. The- Hon. G. AY. Russell. Minister of . nteriraL Affairs, made' (the following j •iJilomcnt to the Press: "The attention of t'lie Government- has been drawn io tho large nunibtr of women who are b'-aving New Zealand at- present- for the ! Mother C i>mry. and it has been decided fli.it restrictions w.ll 1 be imposed- on "hese in future. It has therefore been decided that in future passports shall I 'tot, be issued to women except- in crises if exceptional necessity. The po'.iev o* restricting the departure" of men will be still further ;ngrftened also/' Regarding the Minister's statement "he manager of the New Zealand S-hip-:ng C, inpany, Mr A. W. Bennett, ex■resstd the opinion to a Christchurch "■ress representative that- the submarine neiiace was not. the only cause of the itcst mandate, lie agree that submarnes might, have something to do with, he matter, ami perhaps a very conid crab!© something, but- he also exprcss;d the opinion that England- was by no neaus anxious tc feed thousands of xtra, mouths from the colonies and doninious. Mr Bennett explained tliat for some considerable time it- had been lecessary for men, women and children | dike to produce .permits and pass-ports/ before leaving! Ithe' country, and, _he went on to say, a- large number of. wolien were certainly making their way rrom New Zealand to the Old Country. As an instance, he pointed out that one of tho New Zealand Shipping Company's steamers, oil her last journey took 34 passengers, 84 second and 146 third class, but of these there, were only .six men in- the first ttlass, eight in the second, and 25 in the third. There were, he continued, agreat many wives and -female relatives of men at tho front proceeding in the overseas boats, while there were a great many cases of working people, who, having learned that big wages were being paid iu the Old Country, were proceeding there in search of better em- , ployment. , "If there is to be a stoppage," Mr Bennett continued, "it will not, I think,, be one altogether of safety, tor. will be very largely duo to the reports of the contemplated scarcity of food i" England, if this German blockade i« successful. If permits and passports are granted, they will have to be in very exceptional cases. That is to say, the .-i.u-t- of having a husband or a brother :at t-bfc front will hardly be sufficient rea : son. It will have to 'be proved tha-- s relative is slowly dying, or something fof that description. "Naturally," Mr Bennett, concluded . , "Enirland does not want thousands o r .cob : i;il mouths ito feed when her cwn f.'r-iiion is what it may soon be, ac cording to various reports." Various other local gentlemen inter . esteel in shipping, expressed somewhat ,?.:ini!;;r views.