CUSTOMS REGULATIONS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20536, 11 October 1928, Page 15

CUSTOMS REGULATIONS.

ITALIAN VISITOR’S COMPLAINT. TROUBLE OVER PASSPORT. (Special to Dailx Times.) WANGANUI, October 10. Signor “Nino” Marotta, one of the principals of the J. C. Williamson Melba Grand Opera Company, who arrived at Wanganui at midnight with his fiancee, Miss Eva Webb-Jones, is not particularly impressed with the Customs and requirements in vogue in New Zealand. Colonials travelling abroad know something of the difficulties to be overcome before permission is granted them to leave the Dominion, but the conditions are not nearly so drastic as those that arcimposed on the unsuspecting foreign visitors to our shores. Something was unfortunately omitted by the Grand Opera Company's agent at Adelaide when arrangements were being directed by him for the visit to New Zealand of Signor Marotta. When about to disembark from the Maheno at Wellington yesterday his entry into New Zealand was questioned by a Customs official. Certain necessary formalities had not been complied with, he said. The visitor was informed that as the Customs offices were closed in Wellington (the hour being 5 p.m. or thereabouts), he would have to remain on board the vessel till next day to verify his claim to his passport to the satisfaction of the Customs authorities. For a time it appeared ns though the fervid appeals of Signor Marotta'b fiancee and his own protestations against a visitor being treated in such a cavalier fashion would bo of no avail against an unrelenting Customs officer, but matters were afterwards satisfactorily adjusted by a third party’s guarantee being forthcoming of compliance later on with the Customs requirements. The irony of the situation was that the delay of the Maheno at Wellington was due partly to the steamer leaving Sydney four hours late owing to the absence of a couple of firemen, and a subsequent slowing down of the speed of the vessel, due to trouble in the stokehold. But for this delay there would have been no suggestion of .bolding up the passenger, because the Customs office bad been closed in Wellington. Signor Marotta lias travelled in most of the principal States of Europe as well as in North and South America, and Egypt. No such hindrances, he says, have previously been experienced by him. The visitor’s troubles yesterday afternoon did not end with his passport and identification papers, for there was some difficulty in securing his portmanteaux from the hold of the vessel. Darkness supervened before they were secured, but by the aid of an electric torch they were located in a corner of the hold. Several racehorses, however, which had been brought over from Sydney, had to be unshipped before tbe hatches could be lifted to release the visitor’s belongings.