THE MINISTER EXPLAINS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLI, Issue 9248, 15 January 1916, Page 8

THE MINISTER EXPLAINS

WHY A PERMIT WAS DELAYED A MISTAKE AS TO AGE. Yesterday the Minister for Internal Affairs (rfon. G. W. Russell) made a statement to a "New Zealand Times'' reporter regarding a case mentionea in yesterday's issue, where a boy was prevented from leaving by the Sydnej steamer with his mother, owing to the demand made at the last moment by the authorities for a permit. The Minister denied that any part of the blame for what occurred rested with his department. "Tho regulation provides that no male over the ago of o ghteen years may leave New Zealand without a permit," said the Minister. "Every newspaper in New Zealand has announced that fact. The lad concerned in this case came to the Department of Internal Affairs late on Thursday afternoon, and said that there was some question regarding his age. He had not then applied for a permit He was advised to obtain a copy of his birth certificate from the trar-General's office. He did so, and the certificate showed that he was over eighteen years of age, and must have a permit. But by that time the permit office was closed, and there was no chance oi hia getting away with the steamer that night. The permit was issued yesterday.

"No blame can attach to the department. If the young man had applied for his permit in tha ordinary way, g-ving a proper amount of notice, he would have had no difficulty. Apparently his mother was under the impression that he was only seventeen years of age, whereas, as a matter of fact, he was over eighteen years of age. The department was in no way responsible for the mistake, and when the lad's age was proved by the birth certificate, tho ordinary regulation had to be enforced."