VISITOR'S PLAINT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22004, 10 January 1935, Page 9

VISITOR'S PLAINT

LAWS IN DOMINION EMBARRASSING EXPERIENCE DELAYS AND RESTRICTIONS By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright SYDXEY, Jan. 9 Mr. W. Goudriaan, a director of the Holland-Australia Shipping Line, who arrived in Sydney by the Marama from New Zealand, said the Dominion's tourist trade would suffer considerably if laws put into effect by the Customs Department were not altered. "The authorities will not encour-. ape respectable foreigners to visit them if they are forced to sign a document promising to be of good behaviour," said Mr. Goudriaan. "The Customs officers are very fijio and must find it embarrassing to have to do these things." Mr. Goudriaan complained of delay 3 and restrictions governing the entry of foreigners into New Zealand. He said that because they were foreigners he and his wife hnd to wait until the remainder of the 600 passengers on the arriving steamer had been cleared. "We had a British visa entitling us to enter all the Dominions," said Mr. Goudriaan, "but in spite of this, a sum of £lO had to be deposited. "This amount was not refunded before we left because we had failed to observe a note on the back of the declaration advising us to apply,for a refund on the previous day." "Every effort is made to get the necessary formalities complied with as quickly as possible," said Mr. G. H. Cornes, acting-Collector of Customs at Auckland yesterday. He mentioned that Mr. Goudriaan had landed at this port. "The New Zealand immigration laws say that no alien can enter the Dominion either temporarily or permanently without a pernrit issued by the Government," he said. "The fact that Mr. Goudriaan had a passport does not mean that a permit could be automatically granted. The issuing of a permit naturally takes time. "When an overseas steamer arrives aliens intending to disembark are asked to wait while formalities in respect of the Immigration Restriction Act, are complied with. If a ship has some hundreds of British subjects and one or two foreigners, naturally those for whom there are no formalities in respect of the immigration laws will be able to pass the Customs officers more promptly. "In the case of temporary permits, a deposit of £lO is usually taken to ensure that the restricted immigrant reports to the Customs at the time of his departure from the Dominion. Provision is made for the money being refunded promptly at any port in New Zealand, provided that reasonable notice of intention to leave is given."