NEEDLESS ANNOYANCE.

Southland Times, Issue 19655, 4 October 1922, Page 4

NEEDLESS ANNOYANCE.

Most people will sympathise with Mr John Fuller in his protest against the formalities with which he was celled upon to comply on arrival at a New Zealand port recently from Sydney. Mr Fuller is one of the heads of the well-known theatrical firm winch has its headquarters in Australia and extensive connections in New Zealand. On arrival at Auckland recently he found that it took him nearly hours to satisfy the authorities that he was a fit and proper person to admit to the Dominion. First of all there was a medical inspection which he regards as an expensive farce. A very much simpler procedure, he says; is all that is necessary to protect the Dominioii from the introduction of disease. But when the medical inspection was over there waa still worse to follow. He had to fill in a form giving his sex, position, occupation, race, nationahty, where bom, father’s name, mother’s maiden name, where father was born, where mother was born, naturalised or not, intention to permanently reside or otherwise; and then finally the oath of allegiance had to be

taken. When, the performance was completed. Mr Fuller was handed a “chit” which he in turn handed to a- policeman stationed at the gangway and he was graciously permitted to set foot upon New Zealand’s shores. It does seem time that this tedious wartime procedure was dispensed with. WTiat is a necessary precaution in time of war may become the veriest tomfoolery in time of peace, and that is what the demand still made upon visitors for the fullest details of personal history amounts to. As regards the medical examination, we are not disposed to be critical. The Health authorities ought to know what is required, and presumably they do not make' 1 the examination thorough or ask for more information than they consider necessary. But the wartime form is now a sheer absurdity, and the oath of allegiance is unnecessary. The war legislation and methods of wartime administration linger with u.s too long, and it is time that we were rid of them. ■