One historian was told an account of a mixed parentage stockman in the 1940s who was told by the Native Affairs Officer that if he requested an exemption he would be treated as a European, which would include the right to drink alcohol. "If I've got to have a license to be equal to the white man I'd rather stay where I am," he replied, "It would be like . . . TAKING OUT A DOG'S LICENSE."
—Unsourced newspaper clipping, Linklater Correspondence ML MSS 955
Answer the following questions about the quotation to help you define your position on it.
Why did the stockman need special permission to drink alcohol?
What do you think the stockman meant by "taking out a dog's license"?
Rephrase the stockman's reaction in your own words.
What is your reaction to the quotation?
Explain why you feel that way about the quotation.