DYING RAGE

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 120, 24 May 1933, Page 3

DYING RAGE

AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINALS

CONTACT WITH WHITES

(From "The Post's" Representative.) ■ \ SYDNEY, March 23. "A" cablermessage' frbin New Zealand recording the death of the last of the Morioria has inspired a discussion in Australia as to whether the Australian Aboriginal will follow the road to extinction.* Many anthropologists say that unless something is done to check the decline of the race nothing can prevent this from happening. On the other; hand those whose duty it is to study, statistics deny that the aboriginals are a dying race, but admit the danger of their becoming one. The end of: the Morioris follows closely the death of the last representative of the primitive natives of Tasmania—the one section of Australia which formerly possessed aborigines which differed from those of the rest of tho continent. On the main land itself there are now about 60,000 natives, including half-castes. Before white settlement the full-blooded population was estimated at 300,000. The serious decline : occurred many years ago, and statisticians say that in recent years there has actually been an increase. In recent months considerable importance has been given by anthropologists to the psychological factor in native race decline. Particularly is this so in Australia, where-the nomadic race of blacks; quite unwilling or unable to settle itself agriculturally, or as part of th 6 white man's scheme of things, has felt itself .submerged in the wave of civilisation and; given up tho fight. The blacks'in. Australia are in striking contrast to virile native races of other lands who have' shown that they can thrive, despite contact with tho whites. In Papua, for instance, tho aboriginal population is increasing, and this applies to the- whole of New' Guinea, except a few isolated centres where the decline had set in before European settlement. .... . , . Scientists say that laziness inducedl by the abolition of tribal war is having a serious effect upon the-aborigines of Australia, as is the case with many other native tribes. -Por the' most part the natives, of Australia do nothing to ferid for themselves, tho wanderers in the central . arid North West centres of the continent being oxceptions. Once an aboriginal comes under tho influence of the missions, or enters a Government reserve, he ceases to hunt and ceases to work. That aboriginals can work-should they feel inclined is proved by the number who are giving a good account of themselves on various cattle stations. They are regarded as excellent workmen, trustworthy and well able to absorb the knowledge essential to their daily tasks. The majority; of the half-castes are lazy arid are prepared to live on tho small dole given to them.by the Government. In some of the settlements in1 New South Wales the blacks have ample land, but they make no attempt to work it,' and once a week they go to the nearby town and collect their bread, groceries, and meat. The wisdom of giving, the dole and'so encouraging laziness has been questioned, but no Government has been courageous enough to stop the issue of these provisions. Anyway there are many Europeans quite content to live on the dole, so it is not, surprising that so many blacks are content to follow in their footsteps.

London has 155,000 lonely people, of both sexes, mostly living in homes consisting ..of. ong roem, _, ._J,_^l_