No Sugar Read Free

cut of three thousand one hundred and thirty-four pounds could be met by discontinuing the supply of meat in native rations. Soap was discontinued this financial year. Item Three: of eighty girls from the Moore River Native Settlement who went out into domestic service last year, thirty returned—
    The phone rings in NEVILLE ’s office . MISS DUNN picks up the receiver.
    MISS DUNN : Excuse me, Mr Neville… [ Into the receiver ] Hello, Chief Protector of Aborigines Office… Thankyou, operator. [ To NEVILLE ] Northam.
    NEVILLE takes the call and MISS DUNN hangs up.
    NEVILLE : Sergeant Carrol. Neville, Aborigines.
    SERGEANT : Hello, Northam Police… Hello.
    NEVILLE : It’s an awful line, Sergeant. Are you on the line?
    SERGEANT : Yes, I can hear you.
    NEVILLE : Good. We seem to have encountered a few obstacles with the new reserve. The Guilford Road site isn’t acceptable to the Council. Apparently the adjoining landholders have lodged objections.
    SERGEANT : I thought they might. What grounds? Did they say?
    NEVILLE : [ looking at his letter ] A Mr Smith…
    NEVILLE : Oh, yeah.
    NEVILLE :… Claims he wouldn’t be able to go out and leave his wife home alone at night.
    SERGEANT : And he’s generally down the Shamrock Hotel till stumps.
    GRAN and MILLY approach the Police Station.
    NEVILLE : Well, the upshot of it is that the Lands Department won’t be able to gazette it, so you as the local Protector of Aborigines will have to recommend an alternative site… The Council’s concerned that it’s well away from any residences.
    GRAN : Chergeant!… Chergeant!
    NEVILLE : What’s that terrible racket?
    GRAN : Chergeant!
    SERGEANT : [ to NEVILLE ] Ration day.
    GRAN : Chergeant.
    NEVILLE : All right, letter to follow, I’ll leave you to it.
    SERGEANT : Thanks, Mr Neville.
    NEVILLE : Cheerio.
    The SERGEANT and NEVILLE hang up.
    SERGEANT : Alright Gran, come in.
    NEVILLE : Where was I?
    MISS DUNN : Of eighty who went out in the domestic service last year…
    NEVILLE : Thirty returned to the settlement in pregnant condition, yours etcetera… If you could type that straight away I’ll run it up to the Office myself.
    The SERGEANT places flour, sugar and two small packages on the bench and marks them off in his ration book.
    SERGEANT : Flour, sugar, tea… And how you been keepin’, Granny ?
    GRAN : I’m awright.
    SERGEANT : Been behavin’ yourself?
    GRAN : Have you?
    SERGEANT : There’s your butcher’s order, meat and dripping.
    MILLY : [ inspecting the small packages ] You got two cream a tartar ’ere.
    SERGEANT : Right, let’s change ’em.
    GRAN : Damper won’t rise without no bicarbonate.
    SERGEANT : That shouldn’t worry you, Granny, you should remember when you used to grind up jam and wattle seeds.
    GRAN : More better than white man’s flour, no weevils in jam and wattle seeds.
    SERGEANT : Good tucker, eh?
    GRAN : When I was that high we go and get ’em and smash ’em up and get a bag full, that much!
    SERGEANT : You can still collect ’em, nothin’ stoppin’ you.
    GRAN : Where? Wetjala cut all the trees down.
    MILLY : Haven’t got any soap yet.
    SERGEANT : I’m afraid that soap is no longer included as a ration item.
    MILLY : What do you mean, we got no more soap?
    SERGEANT : That’s right.
    MILLY : But why? What am I gonna wash with? How can I keep my kids clean and sen ’em to school?
    SERGEANT : You could buy some.
    MILLY : What with?
    GRAN : What about gnummarri ? You stop that too?
    SERGEANT : No, Granny, you still get your stick of nigger twist.
    He gives it to her.
    MILLY : Whose idea was it to stop the soap?
    SERGEANT : The idea, as you call it, came from the Aboriginal Department in Perth.
    GRAN : Mister Neville?
    MILLY : I just can’t believe it: no soap!
    SERGEANT : Your trouble, Milly, is you got three healthy men bludging off you, too lazy to work.
    MILLY