Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

OUR ABORIGINALS.
SMOOTHING THE PILLOW OF
DYING RACE.
MISSIONARY'S EFFORTS.
Melbourne, May 5
Rev. J. S. .Needham, speaking at
Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Bala-
clava, said it was twenty years since
four whitemen were hanged at Mait-
land gaol for the massacre of thirty
blacks, and so far as he could ascer-
tain not a single white man had since
suffered death for killing blacks,
though large numbers had been shot
by whites. Some were poisoned through
arsenic being mixed with their food.
Possibly it was too late to save the
blacks, but at least they could smooth
the pillow of the dying race.
"Australia's treatment of the abor-
iginals continues to be a shameful blot
on our fair name. I have taken a
solemn oath," added Mr. Needham "be-
fore people who have a conscience, and
I shall work to have that blot wiped
out. I am going through the length and
breadth of Australia to see if I can
arouse a sense of shame amongst the
people of Australia. There are about
72.000 blacks left in the Common-
wealth and if they are to be saved they
must be segregated, for it has become
an axiom that the black man of Aus-
tralia cannot live among white men.
I believe I am right in saying that not
a penny for mission works among
blacks has been received from either
New South Wales, Victorian or South
Australian Governments. Queens-
land, however, gives £7,000 year-
ly, and spends fifty thousand yearly
for the benefit of aboriginals, and this
comes from a Labor Government."
$