COLOUR LINE

Hokitika Guardian, 10 July 1929, Page 5

COLOUR LINE

DRAWN BY FOOTBALLERS, REMARK ABLE DEVELOPMENT IN NEW SOUTH WALES. SYDNEY, June.,,27. New Zealand is in the happy positoin of knowing, nothing of the colour line in actual practice. Maoris are a race that are held in the highest respect by the white people. Australia, too, has a colour problem that is insignificant compared with America’s, it came as a distinct surprise to Australians last week when it was reported from Condobolin, in the Western Districts of New- South Wales, that the local Rugby League team had refused to play football with a team of aborigines.

• In 1867 a cricket match was played in Sydney by the Albert Club and a, team of aborigines. These two records of sportsmanship show a curious ' reversal of good form and good taste. Australians have witnessed many a pugilistic encounter between* a negro and a white man, and they have ofteiv' f applauded; in fact, almost idolised the black man in preference to the white man in the ring. The bar of the colour line in/ sport seems to be indefensive. was taken to -England, where it was moderately successful. It was certainly an arresting advertisement for' lish people had forgotten that this “vast country once belonged exclusively to the blacks,-v A

The same clash of colour in sport occurred in Victoria in April last, when a football team of aborigijues,V and half-castes from the LakerTyserij Station was excluded from the/East-' Gippsland -competition. Yet Australia hais many notable aboriginal ers. For speed, dash and daring, no player in Association rfootball in Mel-/ bourne surpasses Doug Nicholls;' who has been one of Northcote’s leading players in this season’s matches. He is 21 years of age, and is an aborigine. He is also a champion sprinter, and won the Warracknabeal Gift (professional) as well as other ipportant races. Nieholls’s case recalls Charlie Samuels, the famous aboriginal runner of New South Wales. Queensland had a notable athletic aboriginal in. Jerry Jerome, w.bo came from the little western town of AiYar-ra, and became the champion pugilist. And there have been many others.

The action of the Condoboliri players / has aroufced resentment all over Australia, for it is pointed out that many an aboriginal joined up with the Aus- v; tralian Forces during the war, and fought bravely alongside the Austra- /• lian ‘diggers,” and became entitled to as.much of the praise as their-white' brothers. There was no question of : the colour line then. Why should ( there be in times of peace? Again, there is a distinct danger that th 6 example set by few irresponsible footbailers who would like to be regarded as sports, hut who are not worthy'of it, may have far-reaching results’ in the few districts where a few blacksremain. A Ready the parents of one' of these districts have declared that they will not permit their children to attend the local school unless the aboip- ( ginal children are taken away from it. Tlvp>se people do not ' seem to realise that the colour line is not justified in the least when the coloured people against whom it is directed -were the owners of the country. Why, even in America, there is no question of a colour line where the Red Indians are concerned.