ABORIGINES' LOT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19315, 4 May 1937, Page 2

ABORIGINES' LOT

GOVERNMENTS BLAMED "STAIN ON OUR HONOUR" MISSIONARY'S VIEW SYDNEY, iAlprilfji In opening the -Australian Missionary conference at the Chapter House, St. Andrew's Cathedral, yesterday, the "Rev. J. W. Burton, who presided, said that the treatment of. the aborigines, had been a stain on the honour ot the people and Governments of Australia., "It is one of the tragedies of 'this qommonwcnttb," lie said,, Vthafc we have treated that dispossessed race in such a manner. The. probl.em has been la'rgelv shirked by,Government*. Hithose pecfrlethad a vote, which meant something at election time, they would not. be nogler'tod: increase "I wonder'how the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers can go to tho Coronation ceremony and prate about the part Australia .-plays in tins great Empire, when. Uicy have acquiesced in the treatment of "these people at, our very doors. Unless the nation is aroused, and we do our duty, these people will be devastated—almost extinguished. As they go down, they will drag down with them a great many of our young men • and if yon want any proof of that, let me direct your attention to the enormous increase in the number of haltcastes iu Northern and Central Australia.

"I have evidence, in my possession. paid Mr. Burton, "of the treatment of some of our aboriginal women m tho north by the crews of some of our Aus-tralian-owned luggers. 1 am sure it these were read and published throughout Australia, our people would bo purple with indignation. If our people were aroused, they would turn out, neck and crop any Government responsible, if by acquiescence, for treatment such as this'. It is time we brought before the public and the Government the sense of their responsibility. "Outlook otvt of Proportion"

"We can spend £30,000,000 on defence," he said, "but if we asked the Government for £30,000 to elevate these pisople, that request would probably be denied. The whole outlook is out of proportion."

He added that there were stilt I,COO,CCO people in the Pacific Islands who had not yet received any message ot the Gospel. .Mr. Burton said that several months ago he had submitted a report on the ill-treatment, of aboriginal women, to the Federal Government.

The report to conference on the aborigines stated Unit at present there were considered to be, more than 77,000 natives and half-castes living. Of these, 54,378 were, full-bloods, and 22,817 halfcastes, of whom 26,442 were in Western Australia; 18,244 in the Northern Territory; 17,495 in Queensland: 10,276 in New South Wales; 3788 in South Australia; 630 in Victoria; 263 in Tasmania; and 57 in the Federal Capital Territory. In 1925 there were 13,962 half-castes, whereas there wero now 22,817. "The number of full-bloods is continually decreasing," stated the report, "while the number of half-castes is being added to at a rapidly increasing rate. The time is not far off when the aboriginal problem will be almost entirely a half-caste one."