“ABSURD REGULATIONS.”

Otago Witness, Issue 3804, 8 February 1927, Page 50

“ABSURD REGULATIONS.”

examinations at ports. i • February .2. lhe medical inspection carried out before passengers arriving in New Zealand from Australian ports are allowed to land was subject of some comment by Mr M Sm™’ 1° who returned bv •i-h to Sydney." I*'’ 1 *'’ a '‘” “ b "” b ™"«“ » ‘^‘ 0 - n ! e<lical examination,” he informed a Dominion reporter, <'i s a farce to sav the least of it. Hie passengers line up I Ke a number of sheep and pass through the lounge m front of the doctor as quick!v as their names are called. The absurditv of this lies in the fact that it would be equally consistent for a traveller from the extreme end of New Zealand to the other to be required to nass a medical examination at the - finish of his iouriiev, as the distance from Australia to New Zealand i s tniir-h the same.”

Mr Carr also remarked that 30 or 40 years ago the trip fro n) Sydney to Wellington took under four davs, whereas on the present occasion, under ordinarv conditions. the steamer he returned by bad taken nearly four and a-half days. In addibon. the war regulations imposed by the New Zealand Government in regard to declarations before the Customs and the medical examination necessitated remaining in the stream al! night, whereas a great number of nassengers would have been very pleased to have got nshore. While those regulations were • undoubtedly a good thing at certain neriods. the circumstances at present did not.’ he contended, warrant their continuance. The nassengers, on obtaining tickets, filled in forms nt the shinning company’s office giving ah the particulars that "’ore necessary. and '-by. ip addition to this, persist in again, filling in a form containing the information already nrovided ? “Luckily.” he added, “the Australian Governments do not insist upon declarations or medical examination. Travellers from all ports of the world exnress thomsolves fnrei’' l " about this practice in New Zealand. The tourist will not bn impressed on bis arrival in the Dominion in u oing bora.ssnd in til's manner. Jt time the authorities considered the travelling public and acted with a little reason?’ P