NO POLL TAX TO BE CHARGED

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17832, 28 April 1926, Page 3

NO POLL TAX TO BE CHARGED

BOND PAID FOR INDIAN HOCKEY TEAM. A poll tax of £lO per head will iiot he charged tor members of the Indian Hockey team about to tour New Zealand. Instead of that the Management Committee of the New Zealand Hockey Assocition has entered into a bond of £IOO guaranteeing that all the Indians will leave New Zealand within six months of their arrival. The story of the negotiations with the Customs Department was told in correspondence read at last night's meeting of the Management Committee of the New Zealand Hockey Association.

The secretary of the association (Mr W. H. Down) reported having written to the Comptroller of Customs asking him what the Department’s regulations

The Comptroller replied that each of the members of the team would be permitted to enter New Zealand for a period not exceeding six months on payment of a deposit of £lO, which amount would be returned on his departure from the Dominion. The payment of such deposits would be waived if. the association, together with an approved surety, would enter into a bond for £IOO. guaranteeing that the Indian members of the team would leave Xew Zealand within six months from the date of their arrival, and that any expenses which might be incurred by the Government consequent on the nonfufilment of the guarantee would be defrayed by the association. To this the association replied asking that the regulations be waived completely. The Comptroller replied that he regretted it was impossible to waive the regulations. The matter was finally adjusted by the association entering into a bond for £IOO with one outside surety' which was given by Mr J. Mawson Stewart. ' The chairman (Mr H. S. J. Goodman) said it was a little unfortunate that some of the newspapers published a portion of the Comptroller’s letter. Had the whdle letter been published the stir would not have been caused. The members of the Indian team must not be railed “ natives,” as the term gives offence in India. The following private, letter to the secretarv of the New Zealand Iloekey Association was read at last nights Hurting. “In your letters you refer to the Indians of the team as ‘ natives.’ This term is not used in India as it is a cause of offence to some of the people concerned. We therefore always say “Indians.” We should be grateful if in any letters, press notices, etc, you would always employ this.” RRTNT, OX TOUR CHICKS.