The Ng ‘Permits’ System

Letter to the Editor

READ with interest, in your September issue, your article —“Do You Wish to Enter Papua-N. Guinea.” As I have it returned from a visit to Parma—a mtry in which I spent 30 years of my inhood prior to being evacuated in Feb iry, 1942—it is possible your readers uld like to know what I had to do to ; the necessary permit. }n April 20, 1949, I wrote to the Secre cy, Department of External Territories, nberra, asking for the necessary permit, is Department replied on April 28, say ; that the matter had been taken up ;h the Administrator at Port Moresby i that I would be advised as soon as reply was received; and at the same xe they enclosed a form for me to fill Phe questions I had to answer were newhat like those asked in applying a Passport. The only difference I ild see was that I did not have to >ply a photograph. had to state why I wished to visit the mtry, the period I proposed staying, e the colour of my eyes and hair —and ew other questions. little later, I was advised from Can ■ra that my visit had been approved, 1 the Permit would be issued in Bris le, after I had obtained the necessary arance from the Income Tax Office. >oon after receiving this letter I went ng to the Income Tax Office to see )ut my clearance. I was informed that ras a little early, as the custom was not grant the clearance until about three eks before the boat sailed. I had to it a week, and was then supplied with form in which I had to set out full ;ails of all my assets.

When I brought this form back, the Income Tax official remarked: “I note that you have a credit in the Bank, so it is necessary to obtain a statement from the Bank to verify this.”

I obtained this statement, and took it along and the Income Tax official checked the balance, and returned it to me. He then said: “I note that you have an Agent looking after your property. So we will get this firm to guarantee your Income Tax.” And he gave me a form for the firm to fill in. This was the final form to be completed to get my clearance from the Income Tax office.

I left for Papua on July 12, 1949.

I am, etc..

Brisbane.

Percy J. Wood.

Editorial Note. —This absurd and cum bersome system has been in operation since the end of the war. It is unlikely to be removed while the Australian Socialist Government remains in office, because the Socialist idea of government is expressed in “Controls and More Con trols,” and the constant whittling away of all forms of individual freedom.