COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
NORTHERN TERRITORY ADMINISTRATION, DARWIN
30th December 1935
His Honour
The Administrator of the Northern Territory, Darwin
I am in receipt of the October issue of the Anti-Slavery Reporter and Aborigines Friend, a publication of the .Anti-Slavery and Aborigines Protection Society of London.
On Page 120 of this issue there is published copy of a letter dated 21st. June, 1935, from the Secretary, John Harris, addressed to the Right Honourable J.A. Lyons, P.C., Prime Minister for the Commonwealth of Australia. In the antepenultimate paragraph a request is made that the Federal Treasury should subsidize Western Australia and Queensland£ for £, it being submitted that the number of aborigines, which these States have in their care, is too great for their resources.
Adverting to my recommendation that the Commonwealth should adopt a more liberal policy in respect of the aborigines under its own control, I suggest that the Federal Treasury could well treble its present expenditure in respect of aborigines before giving consideration to the suggestion contained in Mr. Harris’ letter to the Prime Minister. For your information I quote the State expenditure in respect of native population as furnished in Mr Commissioner Moseley’s report to the Western Australian Government.
It is conceded that notwithstanding the discrepancy in expenditure as between the States and the Commonwealth, the aboriginal is probably better cared for and protected in the Northern Territory than he is elsewhere. At the same time there is room for very considerable improvement in terms of my memorandum of 7th October, 1935, particularly in the direction of education and adsorption to the white community.
For the execution of the policy recommended in my memorandum referred to,funds considerably in excess of the amount at present voted would be necessary and I feel that if Cabinet contemplates seriously, considering the representations made by the Anti-Slavery and Aborigines Protection Society, the adoption of the policy recommended for the Territory and the voting of adequate funds for the purpose should be conditions precedent theretootherwise the additional spending power of the States will enable them to effect improvements in their protection system, which will be used as a standard of comparison very embarrassing to the Commonwealth which supplies the funds.
Cecil Cook.
Chief Protector of Aboriginals