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acts in the direction suggested. It is a question now of whether a further request from the Conference might not induce the Commonwealth to reconsider this matter.
Mr. BLEAKLEY.—We have the same difficulty in Queensland, but to a certain extent we are able to supervise the spending of the maternity allowance by the recipients since the superintendents of the settlements handle all correspondence to and from the inmates. In most instances we have no difficulty in inducing the mothers to allow the authorities to place the money in the savings bank, and also to pay to the authorities a fair proportion of the allowance to cover the cost of medical and hospital treatment received during their confinement. It often happens, though, that a woman in outside districts escapes supervision and squanders the money. It would be of advantage if some provision could be made whereby the administration responsible for the welfare of the half-castes could be recognized by the Commissioner for Pensions as the channel through which the allowance should be paid to the recipients.
Mr. BAILEY.—Mr. A. Metford, Commissioner of Pensions, is in attendance, at the request of the Conference. We shall be glad to hear from him in regard to pensions to aborigines and half-castes, particularly in respect of payments to mothers whose medical and hospital expenses are met by the State.
Mr. METFORD.—An aboriginal woman, or a woman in whom there is a preponderance of aboriginal blood, may not receive the maternity allowance. There is nothing in the act to debar a half-caste mother from receiving the allowance, and it is paid to all such. The act does not define an aboriginal or a half-caste. The law provides that the allowance shall be paid to the mother of the child. There is no provision for it to be paid to any one else. The act would have to be amended to enable payment to be made to any one besides the mother.
Mr. BLEAKLEY.—Asiatic half-castes are excluded from the allowance, I understand.
Mr. METFORD.—Only if there is in them a preponderance of Asiatic or aboriginal blood.
Professor CLELAND.—If a Protector is in loco parentis, do not all business transactions take place through him?
Mr. METFORD.— The department seeks the advice of the Protector in all cases of doubt, or in which such advice is considered desirable, and generally it acts on his recommendation. The money is paid to the mother by means of a money order. The department has no control over its spending. Even in the case of a mother who is an unmarried minor, payment is made to the mother. The position is the same in cases in which the Protector is the trustee of the half-caste. The mother receives the payment. There is no provision for her to sign an authority for it to be paid to the Protector.
Mr. NEVILLE.—In many cases the money is squandered, and in others the existence of an allowance places a premium on the procreation of children. Some of the questions which have to be answered are difficult to answer as, for instance, those which ask whether the claimant is deemed to be an aboriginal; or a person in whom there is a preponderance of aboriginal blood; or whether she resides, or has resided, in a native reserve during certain periods. In answering them, we have to rely on reports from local policemen, and as they frequently remove from place to place, conflicting reports are inevitable. These cause difficulties with the Federal Department. That difficulty dots not apply to applicants living in settlements, and, accordingly, we encourage prospective mothers to attend hospitals at the time of birth. Anomalies frequently arise, such as one woman living in a camp being granted an allowance and another woman in the same camp having it refused. If it could be arranged that payment be made to the Protector, as trustee, there would be some guarantee that the right person received the money and that it was properly spent. Under existing conditions, that is impossible.
Mr. METFORD.—The request is reasonable, and I shall place it before the Minister.
Mr. BAILEY.—What is the position in regard to a woman confined in a public hospital?
Mr METFORD.—The money is paid to her at any address she elects to give. If, subsequently, she pays some of it to the hospital, she may do so. Until recently, a woman could authorize another person to collect the money on her behalf, but because this provision was abused that cannot now be done. Payment is made only to the mother.
Professor CLELAND.—To whom would the money be paid in respect of a mother who is certified as insane and whose property is in the custody of the Public Trustee?
Mr. METFORD.—If, after waiting a reasonable time for her to recover there is no improvement, the money is paid to the Master in Lunacy. It would appear reasonable to do the some in the case of aborigines, but I understand that the Master in Lunacy has greater powers than are vested in any Protector of Aborigines. I shall place that point also before the Minister. An amendment of the act would be necessary to enable payment to be made to the Protector.
Mr. McLEAN.—Would you favour the maternity allowance being paid to any mother, irrespective of the degree of aboriginal blood, if certified by the local protector as a person who will put it to proper use?
Mr. METFORD.—No. It is not the policy of the Government to extend the privileges under the act.
Mr. BLEAKLEY.—Many aboriginal women are more entitled to the allowance than are some of the half-caste women who receive it. It may happen that two sisters with the same mother but different fathers apply for the allowance, but because of the provision of the act only one receives it. Such differentiation is not understood by the natives, and causes resentment.
Mr. METFORD.—The law in regard to invalid and old-age pensions is similar to that governing the maternity allowance, in that no aboriginal native, nor any person in whom there is a preponderance of aboriginal blood, may receive a pension. Half-castes, however, are entitled to it. It is significant that the Royal Commission on Pensions in 1906 specifically recommended that aborigines be debarred from pensions. Although the act of 1908 has been amended nineteen times, no alteration of that provision has been made.
Half-castes living on reserves are not granted pensions, because they are regarded as already having received benefits provided by the States for aborigines, as such. They cannot get benefits from the Commonwealth which are denied to aborigines.
Mr. NEVILLE.—I shall give a few instances in respect of which I should like Mr. Metford's opinion. The first relates to an old-age pensioner who claims that he is a half-caste, but is probably an exempt aboriginal. Another concerns a man who resides in the camp, and lives as a native. He draws a pension. A third case is that of an old woman who is the mother of a large family, all of whom are natives in law. Her pension money is expended in liquor by members of the family. A fourth relates to the widow of a soldier—a white man. She is almost an aboriginal, but although she lived among natives in the camp she received a pension of £2 2s. a fortnight. At my request, the military authorities paid her pension to me, as her trustee. If that can be done in respect of a military pension it should be possible in other pensions.
