BLOT ON AUSTRALIA’S HONOUR

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 210, 24 November 1927, Page 1

BLOT ON AUSTRALIA’S HONOUR

ALLEGED MURDER OF NATIVES MISSIONS BOARD DEMANDS ACTION

A QUESTION affecting the honour of Australian people was discussed by the Australian Board of Missions, whose members referred to the alleged murder of aborigines m Western Australia. , , + i,oir One reverend speaker declared that 42 nat- , a Jives in a police expedition, and added that he knew a spot where 22 native men and women were shot on a chain after being in captivity.

Bp Cable. — Press Assot JHE Australian Board of Missions Hn. a pu bl' c meeting at the Chapter of Us t' discussed the alleged murder p ' ltK)r igines iu and around the jr=st River Mission iu 1926. It was tlla t the question was one involved the reputation of an People throughout the au»The meeting then unanicarried a minute which was er ® a lehed to the Premier of Westfell 1.,*- B*^* 8 *^** 8 pointing out the serious by ,v tlons cast upon the public honour rete ntion as officers of those ™ons against whom the indictment iny” * a( ie by the Commissioner who the alleged murders, stan. minute added that the mrcumun- es had been widely commented its h. m Empire and far beyond o; ii, ua ds. The national character : * Australian people was brought |

i ciation. — Copyrightto the bar of judgment of the civilised world, and that judgment was bound to be given with regard to the action taken upon findings of the Commissioner.

There was then quoted the -statement by the Commissioner four aborigines met the r death, and were burned near Da a about the end of June, while in the custody of two constables, and that the only persons responsible for the death were the two constables.

Then it continues, the fact that a verdict of murder could not be found fn a court of law does not lessen the Lravitv of the finding, and there is a ,,c reflection upon the public serious re the persons against whom indictment was made are still retained in the service

of the State as officers for the maintenance of law and order. The Rev. Mr. Gribble, addressing the meeting, stated that 42 natives lost their lives in the West Australian police expedition, and five of them were women. He added that he knew the spot where 22 men and women were shot on a chain, after being in captivity for two days. He concluded that neither the church nor the State was doing its duty in the matter. —A. and N.Z.