SOCIAL RESEARCH.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20234, 12 May 1931, Page 9

SOCIAL RESEARCH.

AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES. STANDARD OP INTELLIGENCE. # .. SYDNEY, May 11. Dr. D. S. Davidson, the anthropologist, after 15 months' work among the Australian aborigines in the far north, on behalf of the University of Pennsylvania and the Social Research Council, Nov York, declares that the natives are much maligned, so far as intelligence is concerned. They have been described generally as among the lowest of the intellectual races, ot the world, but nobody has ljeen able to provo such a description. They are a race peculiarly placed, rendering recognised psychological standards useless for, comparative purposes. v -■ • Simultaneously with l>r. Davidson's observation comes a message from Darwin that native women are being sold at Bathurst Island for bags of flour or sugar, or knives or tomahawks. The purchasers, however, are Catholic missioners, wjiope object js to retrieve the girls from some of the chiefs who havo collected Jwepis, inching young children. The priests are endeavouring to break down the custom, and find the chiefs ready to sell, and the children glad to escape into the sanctuary of the mission, where they are taught useful household knowledge, and when grown up they will be given the opportunity to make a natural selection of a husband. The experiment has not yet lasted Jong enough to show how this phase is going to work out. labour defeated. tasmanian elections. HOBART, May lilt now appears that the Nationalists have won four peats from Labour at the General Election. The strength of the new Parties in Parliament is expected to be: Nationalist ... ... 19 Labour ... ••• 10 Independent ... .... 1 "Voting was on the preferential system, and the distribution of preferences cannot be undertaken for foine days, but the figures appear to indicate that the Government lias, gained four seats- Voting was compulsory, for til© first time. TJia Premier, M r J- McPliee, the vote showed. that the peqpje appreciated the serious position of Australia- The result of til© elections would help towfird correcting the unstable conditions) and help in the restoration of confidence. The Leader of the Labour Opposition, Mr A. 6. OgiJvie, said the maioyiiy of the people liad accepted . the assurance of the Government that if it were returned tho financial. position would improve, The next six ninths would disillusion them, and they would regret their vote in the hard times ahead, At the dissolution the House coinprised 15 Nationalists, 14 Labour, and one Independent.