Problem—At Home
p. 81 · Read in the full issue
Australia Has A Native
NATIVE welfare, like Charity, should begin at home. Recently their Church of England padres held this provi sional synod in Brisbane and resolved to ask “the Federal Government to intro duce the individual contract system for native labor” in the Northern Territory!
Bishop of Carpentaria said the law regarded NT natives as a herd of cattle and an employer, with a licence obtained for 10/-, had full control over as many natives as he could find work for.
Another padre, describing the working conditions said: “The use of the branding iron was the only condition of full-time slavery that was not included in the Federal government’s treatment of the NT full-blooded abos.”
Always allowing for gross exaggera tion in such matters (as we in New Guinea know only too well) it would appear that NT native administration calls for some comment. The laugh, of course, lies in the fact that whereas Federal government’s policy in New
Guinea is to abolish the labor contract system, the Anglican synod in Queens land wants the government to establish it in the NT. Australia’s own house appears to require far more putting in order than the much-discussed New Guinea domiciles. —“T.”