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COMMENTS OF
READERS
ARE OUR ABORIGINES
CANNIBALS ?
To the Editor, Sir.- V«
In B recent issue of an. '2ng'isi»
publication there appeared an article
with the sub-heading "The Black
Folk of Australia. The great clatter
of tongues as the Cannibals arrive."
.Tho article goes on to say: ".The
weekly supply train 'discharged a big
mob of cannibals, whoso home waters
are many thousand miles away."
Another extract' reads : " We passed
lightly over the killings and eatings
and the division of the women and
children of tho victims of this can-
nibalism."
" The article refers to the gatherings
of aboriginals at Ooldea for. the visit
of tho Duke of Gloucester. I would
like to bo informed through your
columns :
1. Aro there anywhere in Austra
lia mobs of aboriginal cannibals?'
2.. Are our aborigines cannibals ?
.3. If so, under- what circum-'
stances ? Is lt through hunger, or
throush natural ar acquired appetite ?
4. If cannibalism ' exists, is it of
ritual significance and of what sig-
nificance?.-Yours, etc.,
"A. B. ORIGINAL."
ANSWERS BY MR. DOW
Mr. E. B. Dow, who has made an in-
tensive study of aborigines and is a
well-known authority on the subject,
provided the following answers:
1. No.
2. Not generally. Certain tribes,
especially those on the western coasts
of the Gulf of Carpentaria and per-
haps some others in the far north-
west, practice tho custom of eating
the (lesli of the dead,
3. Spencer and Gillen have describ-
ed this custom of flesh eating, but
state definitely that it is not a gene
ral practice-among those tribes, and
then only four or five men participate,
whose duty it is to attend to the
funeral rites. No woman is allowed
to eat.
4. Spencer and Gillen offer no ex-
planation as to the meaning of this
custom. They simply record tho facts
but state clearly that it has no
totemic significance
The article; which "your"correspon-
dent has read ia evidently the highly
imaginative writing of some person
who knows very little of Australia
and much less about the aboriginals.
This can be judged, for Instance, even
by the meagre quotations given thnt
these "chattering cannibals" had
travelled many thousand.) of miles to
reach Ooldea;. they must have come'
from. China or Alaska, unless of
course our own aboriginals had ,u
"walk-about around" the . continent
before they finally arrived at the meet-
ing place. And again these cannibals
of ours don't kill to eat. They moy
eat an enemy killed in fight hy an
avenging party, but it is very certain
they do not go out looking for food
in this way. And no person who
knows the aboriginal withahls strict
moral, totemic and tribalWaws and
relationships would .write.',that ? tho"
women and children of the victim
were divided among the men of the
tribe. Probably the writer is de-
scribing a night «are, ;
OUR TURF WICKET
To the Editor, Slr.-
I crave space to express regret that
the Football League has decided to
stand to their previous offer that the
Cricket League put the wickets down
on their oval, then they will discuss
day and date for the use of the wic-
kets. Failing the Cricket League
complying with, same, nothing doing,
as far as the Football League is con-
cerned!
So much for shortsightedness on
the part of the Football League dele-
gates. They can rest assured that
the turf wickets are desired and re-
quired by 85 per cent. of the patrons
who attend football matches.
As to suggestions, the Western
Oval, in my opinion, is the second
best position. I propose that the
Cricket League negotiate with the
Show committee, also the Hospital
Board.-
(1) For the purpose of discussing
taking over the Western Oval from
the Council.
(2) Method of raising finance.
I would say a lottery, legalised by
the Government. If successful pre-
pare both wickets, and plant turf, and
the grading of the oval can be pro-
ceeded with while the grass is grow-
ing.
I feel quite sure that if the directors
of the mines and the Silverton Tram-
way Co. were approached through
their respective managers for assis-
tance, it would meet with success, and
we would have a decent show ground
and permanent turf wickets.
A lottery such as I have suggested
would be subscribed to by hundreds
who are living away from here, who
were once residents, seeing that the
Hospital would benefit - Yours, etc.,
"NO SUGGESTION."
ELECTORAL PROVISIONS
?' " Perplexed " : The provisions' ; of
the Electoral Act regarding the re-
moval of an elector from one resi-
dence to another was e*P'amed by
tho. divisional returning ohtcer (Mr.
F. Hinde) to-day.
Mr. Hinde said that- if a person
changes his or her place-of living
from one sub-division to another he
or she must ..live ;in '.the^.new sub-
division for n period1 of "at least one
month before being qualified to apply
for' enrolment. ' Application for en-
rolment must then bo made within
21 dayö of the date on which he or
she became entitled to enrolment.
In the case of a person who changes
his or her address within a SUD
division for which he or she is en-
rolled, the person i« required to
notify the change of address within
21 days of tho date, of making./the
change;. -;; '. .;'.....'.'''!..' , ???.!.
Ag an instanco Mr.-Hinde said that
for a person changing say from Bro-
ken Hill North BUb-dlvision to the
aub-divlslon of -Broken' Hill he must
reside within the nub-division of Bro
I (Continued In Wext Column.) - <
ken Hill for a period of ono month
before 'applying for'a transfer of en-
rolment. But in the case of a'person
changing his or her address within
the' sub-division' bf say 'Broken Hill
North'tho person is required to
notify the change of: address within
a period of 21 days from, the date of
making the' change.
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