tl ANTHROPOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS OP QUEENSLAN I). 



genetics, both, as I have just pointed owt, neglet-t <1 in 

 their relation to Queensland. The study of it should be 

 imperative, and 1 suggest for the future consideration of 

 some such .scientific bodj^ as this Societj" the desirability 

 of instituting a continuous series of investigations into the 

 physical conditions of the people ; continuity upon a 

 uniform basis would alone make such statistics of 

 permanent value. The necessity for it is, however, surely 

 apparent : no sane man would deny that the fitter an 

 individual is, the greater the productive energy of which 

 he is capable, and in tropical and siib-tropical countries 

 doubly so. 



Amongst primitive races, idiots are treated as children. 

 Insanity is rare, criminality is I'are, and it is only with 

 the rapid advance of civilization that ill-balanced natures 

 become more frequent. It has been recognized for some 

 years that anthropometric measurements are also of very 

 great importance for the identification of criminals, and 

 many interesting cases might be given of mistaken identity 

 being rectified oy such means. Dr. Crarson gives one 

 which more than emphasises my point. ' A man 

 recently con\'icted of robbery was identified as an ex- 

 convict, but from our own metric offic(i the true identity 

 of the prisoner wtis found to be that of another convict 

 who had been liberated on license." An instance — if 

 such were needed— of the wonderful services rendered by 

 this branch of Science is to be found in the utilization of 

 impressions of the finger for purposes of identification, 

 and Galton, the developer and creator of the system, lived 

 to see how much his thoroughness and sound judirment 

 from the scientific point oi view were appreciated. 



We are such creatines of habit, that we know nothing 

 practically of the new race growing up in Queensland, 

 and the worst feature of it is that very few care. Our 

 public men fail to grasp the importance of the nation's 

 true welfare in the matter of certain recognised educational 

 factors. The experiences of the present Avorld-wide conflict 

 of races demonstrated the value of the systematic training 

 of the mind of the peopfce, and can we know how best to 

 undertake the high duty, if we are uninformed as to the 

 quaUties and capacities of the roinds of those whom we have 



