COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
NORTHERN TERRITORY MEDICAL SERVICE
DARWIN, 26th November, 1936.
His Honour,
The Administrator of the Northern Territory
DARWIN
In reply to Mr. Lancaster’s further [audit] report upon the half-caste girls at Darwin, I have to advise that the wages paid to half-caste girls are 5/- per week plus full board and lodging, and clothing. The girl sleeps on the premises of the employer, who is responsible for her moral and physical welfare. The only exception to this generalisation is the girl who, on account of misconduct or venereal disease, or for the purpose of caring for a child or children, is required by the Chief Protector to return to the adult dormitory at night.
The wages are prescribed by the Aboriginals Ordinance. With the inauguration of the Medical Benefit Fund it was decided that the best interests of the half-caste would be served by placing him on an equal footing with the white, so that he might contribute to the Medical Benefit Fund and assure himself of similar rights and privileges to those available to the contributing white. As the employer previously had been held responsible for medical expenses he was now required to pay an additional 1/- per week, but in order that the new rights should not be available to the half-castes without some small but significant sacrifice, the balance of the weekly contribution of 1/6 was made payable by the employee.
This step was taken in 1931. Ministerial approval was not sought, the condition being imposed upon the employer by agreement between the girl’s employer and the Chief Protector.
It is unnecessary to again enter into a controversy as to the adequacy or otherwise of wages paid to half-castes. If it is considered that the half-caste girl cannot afford to pay 6d per week towards the Medical Benefit Fund out of the wages now received, there is no justification for reducing the subscription to the Medical Benefit Fund but every indication to increase the wage. What practical benefit for instance, would accrue by halving it and so reducing it to 3d per week? As already stated in a previous memorandum on this subject and on several other occasions, a clause permitting the Chief Protector to demand an increased rate in respect of experienced half-castes and aboriginals was deleted by Cabinet. Its inclusion in the Aboriginals Ordinance is long overdue.
Mr. Lancaster’s recommendation that employers should be encouraged or required to house the girls lapses in view of the actual fact that they are so required.
The question whether half-castes are to receive free medical treatment because a large number of destitute white people and absconders are granted this privilege, is a question for the determination of the Minister. Personally I do not recommend it. The frame of mind of a white man who defrauds or evades his obligation to the community is a very different one to that of a half-caste doing the same thing. The former is actuated by a spirit of independence and superiority, the latter by a sense of inferiority and revolt. The status of the half-caste in the community is indeterminate and any factor which contributes towards his receiving charity from the community can only aggravate his sense of inferiority and dependence. On the other hand, the knowledge that the rights and privileges he enjoys are his by attainment will go far towards overcoming his natural sense of subordination and repression.
Mr. Lancaster refers to the fact that an amount over £1,600 has been accumulated in the Aboriginal Medical Benefit Fund and that very little expenditure has been met therefrom. It has been our intention to husband this Fund with a view to providing hospitals for aboriginals at strategic points through the Territory. For this purpose even £1,600 is far from adequate. If the Minister is of opinion that this money should be expended in any direction in which the phantom of justification may be conjured up, this small accumulation could very speedily be dissipated. Under the circumstance, I should welcome a ruling from the Minister as to whether the provision of native hospitals at Wave Hill, Timber Creek, Newcastle Waters, Brunette Downs, Alice Springs, Hermannsburg and Borroloola is to be sought from time to time through the Works estimates, or whether our policy of conserving the Aboriginal Medical Benefit Fund contributions for this purpose is to continue.
To indicate how erroneous are the premises upon which Mr. Lancaster makes the statement in paragraphs 2 and 4 of his memorandum, I attach a schedule of half-caste girls employed in the town of Darwin, indicating the number who sleep on employers’ premises and the number who sleep in the adult dormitory together with, in the latter cases, the reasons for their detention at night.
In face of the above it should be unnecessary to reiterate that Mr. Lancaster has set himself to report at length upon subjects concerning which he is extraordinarily ill-informed. It is regrettable that his inaccurate reports should have been so voluminous and so pontifical, as replies to them have involved this Branch in considerable loss of valuable time.
Cecil Cook
Chief Protector of Aboriginals
