PASSPORTS & PERMITS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLI, Issue 9417, 2 August 1916, Page 3

PASSPORTS & PERMITS

NEW CONDITIONS ALL TRAVELLERS MUST HAVE PASSPORTS. The Hon. G. W. Russell, Minister for Internal Affairs, yesterday made the following statement with reference to the future issue of passports and permits:

In consequence of cablegrams from Sydney in the Hew Zealand papers of July 28th stating that the military authorities had notified the shipping companies that from August Ist no women would be allowed to leave for or land from New Zealand without a permit or passport, the Government cabled to the Prime Minister of Australia asking for definite information with regard to the position, and pointing out that considerable inconvenience would be caused unless time were given for adjustments to be made in the present arrangements, as at present women are not required to obtain passports on leaving New Zealand, except for the purpose of landing in Groat Britain.

A reply has now been received from the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth stating that the new regulations require all persons, including women, entering the Commonwealth after September Ist to bo in possession of passports, and all persons, including women, leaving the Commonwealth after August Ist to be in possession of passports. In the case of New Zealand, however, the existing arrangements in regard to the issue of permits for persons travelling between Australia and New Zealand only is preserved. The intention of the Commonwealth Govorhihent in making these new regulations is to secure control over all persons passing through Australian ports en route to New Zealand and to other countries, the idea being that all such persons should have passports.

Although -.the new regulations are immediately 'in force, the Commonwealth Government has intimated that it is prepared to meet the New Zealand Government in any cases where compliance with the - new conditions will cause hardship, and that in such oases instructions will be given exempting passengers from bearing passports. The main object of the Commonwealth is to enable a more • effective check to be kept on all oversea passengers. The effect of the new regulations is that henceforth, all persons, male and female, travelling from New Zealand and passing through Commonwealth ports, en route to other countries, must, have passports, and that from September Ist all women from Now Zealand proceeding to Australia only must have permits. The department is making arrangements to minimise the inconvenience that is likely to be caused by these regulations having been brought in suddenly, and immediate steps will be taken to amend the New Zealand regulations in order to meet the conditions set up by the introduction of these new Commonwealth provisions. " Advice has recently been received that persons desiring to visit France or French colonies and possessions must be provided with a passport, which must be vised by the Consul for France at Auckland, tho Consular Agents not having the power to do so. It is understood that travellers have in some cases had their passports vised by the Consul for France in Sydney. From recent advice it appears, however, that this is now impracticable, as the Commonwealth authorities collect all passports from New Zealanders on their arrival in Sydney, and do not return them until _ the traveller is about. to leave the Commonwealth. It would, therefore, save travellers a large amount of inconvenience if, when applying for their passports, they leave not only sufficient time for the inquiries to be made before a passport can bo issued, approximately a fortnight, hut also leave themselves sufficient time after receiving the passport to send it to the French- Consul in Auckland, in order that it may bo vised hv him.