NEW ZEALAND

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16908, 23 March 1929, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND

HINDRANCES TO TRAVEL SYDNEY, March lli KSr Victor Wilson, who recently returned from New Zealand, expressed astonishment at the feeling which existed between residents of the Commonwealth and Dominion. This to a large extent had been caused, be said, by the irritating and unnecessary procedure that hail to be gone through’when a traveller was leaving the Commonwealth, entering the Dominion, or returning to Australia. This irritation unquestionably affected the tourist traffic both to and from New Zealand. The procedure, under, which people visiting New Zealand had to give guarantees with respect to Commonwealth taxation, and again the long documents that had to he filled in by travellers before they arrived in New Zealand, were botli irksome and absurd. As one who had much to do with the framing of the original regulations covering traffic between New Zealand and Australia, Sir Victor insisted that the ridiculous procedure now in vogue was never contemplated. Before entering the Dominion it was", for instance, compulsory to sign a declaration of loyalty to the King. There should, be no necessity for any decent man, Australian or otherwise, to be compelled to sign such a document. In any case it was no safeguard against disloyalists, as they would readily sign such papers. Furthermore, visitors from Australia to New Zealand and vice versa were subjected to a Customs examination that was at times offensive end was always ludicrous,