BLACK LEADERS BLAME WHITE SLY-GROG
18.07.1987

Black leaders blame white sly-grog trade By TONY KOCH QUEENSLAND Aboriginal leaders are concerned that unless positive action is taken to rid their communities of sly-grogging and alcoholism, problems such as suicides will grow.
Most of the sly-grog trade is conducted by white men who exploit Aboriginal weaknesses.
They smuggle in to reserves four-wheel drive vehicle and even aeroplane loads of alcohol, including spirits, wine and methylated spirit. There is little or no control and police are not able to point to any convictions for this activity in recent years.
In Gulf areas, taxi drivers talk openly of the trade and those people involved in the trading brag about the profits available.
They demand and get $50 for a flagon of wine, $5 to $10 for a stubbie of beer, $65 for a 26-ounce bottle of rum, and $35 for a bottle of metho.
It is the illegal importation of alcohol, mainly spirits and wine, that is blamed for the problems facing Queensland Aboriginal communities.
In the past year, seven Aborigines have died in police custody.
This week, Cooktown Aboriginal leaders expressed concern about the circumstances of the death of one of the seven.
The victim was Willie Wallace, 22, who was found hanging in a cell on Wujal Wujal reserve. The official version was that Wallace was placed in the community watchhouse at 2 a.m. on March 29, 1987.
He had been on a wild drinking binge and at 4 a.m. a friend reportedly threw some blankets to him to keep him warm. He tried to rip them up to make a noose.
When that did not work he took off his shoes and socks, tied the socks together and hanged himself on a cell bar.
He was discovered at 8.15 a.m. by the community police.
The Cooktown Aborigines say that Wallace never wore shoes or socks.
Aboriginal Co-ordinating Council senior officials Mr Eric Law and Mr Pearce Powder, appointed by the Community Affairs Minister, Mr Katter, to investigate, said they had been told that Wallace did not wear socks but had not been able to confirm the information.
Mr Powder supported the suggestion put forward by Mr Katter that detoxification units be provided on communities so that very drunk Aborigines could get medical supervision when they were getting over the effects of a heavy binge.
The investigation by Mr Powder and Mr Law will be completed in the next two weeks.
They do not have any power to interrogate or investigate the actual deaths, but have concentrated on speaking with families of the dead men, police and other Aborigines.
In north Queensland towns there is total apathy about the deaths.
Most comments are racist.
The only point of agreement is that the lot of Aborigines will not be advanced by any amount of funds handed out unless the problem of alcoholism is beaten.
Residents in north Queensland towns have run out of patience with daily seeing streets and parks crowded with drunken Aborigines and neglected women and children.
They also have no patience with media, governments and welfare agencies which they say claim expertise and the moral high ground but do not have to put up with the consequences of the drunkenness.