ISSUING A PASSPORT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18396, 11 May 1923, Page 6

ISSUING A PASSPORT.

DEPARTMENTAL DELAYS.

IRRITATING EXPERIENCE.

PASSENGER MISSES FIJI TRIP

TBI" TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

HAMILTON. Thursday.

,To the uninitiated the circumlocution of Government,, departments provides many a pitfall. This was recently brought home to a Hamilton resident, who, in the early part of last month, applied to the Department of Internal Affairs for either a permit or a passport to visitFiji' in connection with a business enterprise in which he was interested. In due course the departmental officer at Auckland forwarded to him the requisite papers to fill in, and he was informed he would bo well advised to apply for a passport, as the authorities at Fiji were somewhat strict as to whom they permitted to land in the Crown colony. Photographs, fees, and documents were all supplied with promptitude to the department, and the citizen in question made all his domestic, business, and financial arrangements, including the booking of a passage by the Niagara, which was timed to sail from Auckland on Tuesday last. He arrived in Auckland on Monday too late to interview the passport officer. On the arrival of tho officer next morning the Hamilton resident applied for his passport. He was informed that the Auckland office had not received tho required documents from Wellington, as the police report had not yet como to hand. On telephoning the police authorities at Frankton Junction, where the applicant resided, it was reported that everything was satisfactory and the. police report had been made on April 20. The traveller then induced the Auckland passport officer, at the cost of 7s, to telegraph to Wellington for information, as the ship was sailing that day at about 2.30 p.m. A reply was received from Wellington indicating that the Auckland officer could issue the applicant, not a passport, but a permit to leave New Zealand for Fiji, but the passenger would require to take his own risk as to whether he would bo allowed to land at the other end. The interesting but unhappy end of the experience was that, whereas tho telegram from Wellington authorising tho issue of a permit was received at 2.30 p.m., the Niagara had sailed at 11.30 a.m. The intending passenger, therefore, was left behind and had to return to Hamilton. He has made an emphatic protest to the member for the district, who has undertaken to place tho matter before the Minister in change of the department.