THE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21983, 19 June 1933, Page 6

THE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES

The people of Australia will not feel altogether nattered at the prominence given to the lot of the Australian aboriginal in a conference of the British Commonwealth League, to which reference is made in a cable message. In a resolution adopted by the Conference an appeal "was made to Australian Women's Societies to combine in bringing under the attention of the Governments concerned conditions, characterised as akin to slavery,,under which dctribalised abori-

gines and half-castes are said to be living. Allusion was made in the resolution to practices affecting the lot of girl and women aborigines. A speaker at the Conference was an ex-chairman of t the Australian Board of Missions, who vouched for the accuracy of reports alleging the kidnapping of Australian native women by Japanese. In the circumstances in which this question has been raised the Commonwealth Government can hardly ignore the matter, for reflection is cast upon the manner of its discharge of an important responsibility. Officials at Canberra have hastened to describe the allegations of the Conference as absurd, and to point out that the Government's policy is to preserve the aborigines in every way possible. But neither this, nor the supporting testimony of an Australian author, will probably quite suffice by way of assurance that the British Commonwealth League has been manufacturing a sensation over nothing. Attstralia is a vast country, and the effective supervision of the conditions that obtain among the native people, who number some 75,000, is possibly attended with a good deal of difficulty. But it is a reasonable assumption that responsible persons would not make allegations, such as those discussed by the British Commonwealth League, unless they had some foundation for their assertions. It is a matter of common knowledge that the mission workers among the aborigines are not satisfied that the welfare of these people is sufficiently safeguarded by governmental policy. In an address delivered not long ago before the Millions Club in Sydney the Kev. W. Morley, of the Association for the Protection of Native Races, drew a distressing picture of the plight of the Australian aborigines. He asserted that 'they never had received, and were not now receiving, proper protection and equal British justice. "Theirs is a condition," he said, " practically of slavery in regard j to the conditions of labour in some States. Native women are not adequately protected against unscrupulous men of other races. Half-castes constitute a serious / problem, and an increasing menace. My Association has been in negotiation with the Governments for several years. So far, little has resulted from our efforts." Representatives of the United Aborigines Mission have spoken in more or less similar terms. In theory the Australian aborigines may be adequately protected, but it does not follow that they are so in practice. The duty of the Commonwealth and State Governments in this matter is sufficiently clear, and if there is substantial foundation for allegations that certainly do not reflect a particularly creditable state of affairs some I neglect of responsibility is indicated. I The argument in that case for the provision of a greater measure of protection for the aborigines, who are not of a high type, than they have been receiving, cannot in the interests of humanity and justice be ignored,