punished as before, but all the old evils have continued. Owners of mui tsai have been able to prosecute mothers for " fraud " when a child has (allegedly) been enticed back home. In these cases they have pleaded "adoption." Prosecution has tended to confirm mui tsai owners in the enjoyment of their property."

Sir Hubert Murray on the Papuan Natives.

ALL that the Lieutenant-Governor writes about the natives of Papua, the Territory which he administers with so much sympathy and understanding, is of interest, and in a Paper read by him this year to the Pan-Pacific Science Congress, which has recently reached us, he deals with The response of the natives of Papua to Western civilisation." Sir Hubert Murray again reminds us that the Papuans are in a transition stage crossing the gulf which divides the Stone Age from the Twentieth Century " and their response to our civilisation, partial as it necessarily has been, has, on the whole, been favourable and not unintelligent.

"

On the material side the Papuan has responded well. He has taken to the use of steel implements, laying out and planting gardens, engaging in shipping and trade, etc., but on the social side he is very conservative and has hardly responded at all.

It is a common-place to say that native customs should be preserved to prevent disintegration. This has of course been done in Papua, but it is impossible, as Sir Hubert Murray reminds us, to preserve native customs in their entirety, or anything like it. Sir Hubert rejoices that the social response has not been more ready, because primitive races adopt the bad more quickly than the good qualities of Western civilisation. We, as the stronger race, demand far more than the primitive man than we ever dream of giving ourselves, and the adaptation process is far more difficult for the native than for the white man. In Papua, the story of the adaptation has been less bitter and difficult than in other places, partly owing to the fact that the early settlers were, on the whole, a law-abiding set of men. Sir Hubert Murray does not say, what no doubt is the fact, that the absence of bitterness and bloodshed is largely due to the sympathetic and understanding influence which he has himself exercised.

"Faith and courage," the Lieut.-Governor writes, "are essential to a successful native administration, and we in Papua have faith that the Papuans

will eventually, under guidance, develop into a people who will appreciate and adjust themselves to the best that we have to offer to them."

Sir Hubert Murray tells us, as he has told us before, that Missions are held in high esteem by all experienced administrators, principally because

"The Missionary offers in Christianity something to fill the gap which has been left by the loss of the old superstitions, and re-kindle spiritual lights which our materialism has extinguished."

It is in no small part to the Missions also that is due the deliverance of the natives from the constant fear of evil spirits and sorcery. Native Papuan life is, he says, demon-haunted, and this means an unreasoning and devastating terror," deliverance from which is a beneficent and farreaching effect of European civilisation, and, in particular, of Missions— the banishing of an "awful curse."

Two unfavourable features to which Sir Hubert Murray refers are (1) "the disheartening and apparently inexplicable decrease of population in some districts" and (2) a feeling of depression almost akin to despair, which seems to arise from a presentiment that there will be no room for the Papuan in the new world which is pressing upon him. Of this second feeling there are traces, fortunately, in only a few parts of the territory. There is no reason, he assures us, for gloomy forebodings.

Southern Rhodesia.

THE Report of the Chief Native Commissioner for 1928 refers to the year as "one of unbroken quiet," the only outstanding event in a record of "some progress and some stress " being the retirement of Sir Herbert Taylor from the office of Chief Native Commissioner.

The Native Commissioners held meetings in their districts of chiefs and headmen, when valuable expressions of native opinion were obtained. The following paragraph relates to the employment of

NATIVE JUVENILES.

"The administration of the Native Juveniles Employment Act is running a mild, uneventful course, the most striking feature being that prosecutions of juveniles are negligibly few. It is clear from the following figures that the picannins are either of exemplary conduct or have met with tolerant employers : Lomagundi-1,350 registrations; two prosecutions.

Makoni-542 registrations; no prosecution.

Victoria-384 registrations; seven prosecutions, five being convicted.
Chibi-345 registrations; no cases.

Melsetter-775 registrations; no prosecution except of an employer (386
of these juveniles came from across the adjacent Portuguese border).
Bubi-332 registrations; no prosecution.

Belingwe-437 registrations; one prosecution.

Selukwe-219 registrations; no prosecution.

Salisbury-1,052 registrations; seven prosecutions.

"The Native Commissioner, Wankie, reports that no juvenile was prosecuted, but that a number of employers were, at the instance of juveniles. In the aggregate, however, very few employers were complained against. The Native Commissioner, Marandellas, regards the Act as having had little effect; 423 juveniles were registered, and complaints were practically negligible. The Superintendent of Natives, Victoria, does not think the Act has had any effect either in inculcating habits of discipline or to the detriment of juveniles. From Matobo and Insiza there is testimony that native parents appreciate the measure

and the Native Commissioner, Gwelo, says the Act proves a safeguard for both juveniles and employers, besides acting as a deterrent to boys leaving home without their parents' consent.'

NATIVE EDUCATION.

The natives, old and young, are described as being enthusiastic for more schools, and the report has no doubt that "a social revolution on a small scale is being enacted." But there seems to be difference in opinion between the Native Commissioners and the Inspectors as to the present methods of native education, which are criticised as being " fundamentally weak" and giving "a wholly erroneous conception of education." The teachers are generally the religious leaders of the Christian movement; the Commissioners comment favourably on the industrial and other training given at mission stations. But one Commissioner comments on the dangers of the native Watch Tower movement.

AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTION.

A Report is published on the Instruction of Natives in Agriculture, from which it appears that there are twenty native farming demonstrators engaged in this work, the future prospects of which are said to be bright. The demonstrators visit and advise native farmers as to the cultivation of their lands, and native farmers who carry out the teaching of the demonstrators are classified as co-operators. The results are encouraging, and in two instances mentioned show a quite remarkable development.

"It is gratifying to feel that the experiment has been successful. Wherever conditions afforded a fair trial the work has won the approval and support of the best citizens of all classes, black and white," and it should grow to be "a great factor in the permanent upbuilding of every native community throughout the whole of Rhodesia."

Forced Labour in East Africa.

We have received some correspondence from Archdeacon Owen in Kenya Colony regarding the employment of children in forced labour on the roads in his district. Among the labourers in three road gangs he saw nineteen children at work. The Archdeacon wrote to the District Commissioner to report this, " as the law requires able-bodied men only to do unpaid work on roads," giving the names of the children. In reply, the Assistant District Commissioner wrote that he would have the matter investigated, but suggested that the children came of their own free will with their elders after the manner of children helping in harvest operations at home," and he added, "the law fortunately does not make it illegal for them to do so."

Archdeacon Owen reminded the Commissioner in a further letter, in which he reported having seen another gang of four children at work

on the roads, of the despatch of September, 1921, in which the Secretary of State laid down that the limitations on forced unpaid labour must be strictly observed. "The law," the Archdeacon wrote, " nowhere requires forced unpaid labour from any but able-bodied men. The sending of the children is but a symptom of the revolt against forced unpaid labour on roads, which I find everywhere expressed by able-bodied men." Questions were put in the House of Commons, the terms of which, with the answers, are reported on another page.

LABOUR ON RAILWAYS.

A correspondent in Uganda sends a copy of judgments, passed at various native courts this year, upon persons refusing to work on the railways. In several cases the accused were sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for periods of from two weeks to three months, and in one instance the five accused were sentenced also to "a whipping of ten strokes with a cane.' The correspondent writes:

"The Railways Construction is voluntary in theory but compulsory in the actual practice, with the result that men who have family ties, herds, and economic crops to look after are compelled against their will to contract for three months from their homes all over the country to come over and build the Railway. Most of these men have to be transported from a distance of more than a hundred miles and leave their families at the mercy of the loafers."

"

'When a native chief is told to 'ask' or ' advise' those under him, it results in actual orders and, rather than lose the official favour, they do this sort of thing for which I do not blame them, but the blame should be upon the white officials who are incapable of explaining properly to the native chiefs as to what should be done in the matter.

"

work."

Chiefs have their positions to keep, and this is the trouble due to such

Australian Aborigines.

AN account is given in an Australian newspaper, the Adelaide Advertiser, of a recent six months' journey made in the North-West by a missionary of the United Aborigines Mission, where he describes the uncivilised natives as being people of fine physique, healthy and lovable, who are worth preserving. It is his opinion that, as Australians, they have a national responsibility towards the aborigines which cannot legitimately be disregarded.

This account bears out the statements in the Bleakley Report as to the healthy condition of the wild blacks; that the type of aboriginal is better and cleaner as they are further removed from civilisation, and that their trust can be won by kindly ministrations. The same point was emphasised by the late Professor Baldwin Spencer (in a Preliminary Report on the Aborigines of the Northern Territory for 1912), where he denied the truth of a statement sometimes made that the natives have no morality,

if applied to aborigines in their normal state, "before they have been degraded by contact with a civilisation that they do not understand and from which they need protection."

A MISSIONARY'S JOURNEY IN THE NORTH-WEST.

Their last touch with civilisation was at Morilyana, about two hundred miles out from Oodnadatta, and after that they were four months without seeing a white person. During the whole trip they saw only about five hundred natives, and of that number three-hundred and fifty were wild natives, who had not come into contact with civilisation. They were told that there were other aborigines in the ranges, but from his knowledge of the waters, and the dry state of the country, he did not think that it could support more than five hundred or six hundred. Every group of natives encountered appeared to be healthy, strong, and well fed. There was no sickness among them, except a few bad sores due to neglected burns, and an occasional broken limb. There was no venereal disease whatever, which went to prove that the morals of the aborigines were of a high order. Conversation was carried on with the natives by a limited number of words in their language, and signs, and the men readily showed them where to obtain water, and food and water for their camels.

The men as a rule, said Mr. Page, were tall, broad shouldered, and of fine physique, but their legs were long and thin, probably due to continual hunting. They were keen-eyed, and very fleet of foot, and their only weapon appeared to be a barbed spear, which they threw with precision. They usually hunted all day, and only had one meal, in the evening. . . The children were wellnourished and led a care-free life, hunting in small parties, and at five years of age would be almost independent of their parents for food supplies. The aborigines met were generous, and would offer the best rabbit in their catch, and not expect anything in return for it. They would distribute any food or present given them, and would think nothing of conducting the visitors ten or fifteen miles to a water supply, and then quietly disappear without reward or thanks. One tribe, about forty miles over the border, who had never seen whites previously, were even more generous than those who had come into contact with white people. Mr. Page said there were strict totem codes among the tribes which absolutely forbade intermarrying. He had not heard or seen any signs of cannibalism among the blacks, but knew that they killed the weakly or deformed

children because they would be an incubus. He had seen as many as five

children in one family. Although the trip was made with a view to opening a mission among the natives, Mr. Page stated that it was not the desire of the mission to alter their mode of living. He believed in allowing them to go unclothed as they were at present. If they were given clothing there would not be sufficient water for them to wash it if they would take that trouble. It would quickly become verminous, and when they threw it off they would catch chills. They should not be encouraged to depend on the white man for food, as when left they would be in a worse state than when they were found. The children were quick at learning."

New Members of the Committee.

THE following names have been added to the Committee: LADY MANNING, wife of Sir William Manning, formerly Governor of Ceylon, and the Right Hon. LEIF JONES, M.P. for Camborne.