dummy

I.

n.

1) In Australia, when land wasthrown open for selection (q.v.), the squatters who hadpreviously the use of the land suffered. Each squatterexercised his own right of selection. Many a one also inducedothers to select nominally for themselves, really for thesquatter. Such selector was called a dummy. The law thenrequired the selector to swear that he was selecting the landfor his own use and benefit. Some of the dummies did nothesitate to commit perjury. Dictionaries give «dummy,adj. fictitious or sham.» The Australian noun is anextension of this idea. Webster gives «( drama) one whoplays a merely nominal part in any action, sham character.» This brings us near to the original dumby, from dumb, which is radically akin to German dumm,stupid.

1866. D. Rogerson, `Poetical Works, p. 23:

«The good selectors got most of the land,

The dummies being afraid to stand.»

1866. H. Simcox, `Rustic Rambles, p. 21:

«See the dummies and the mediums, Bagmen, swagmen, hastening down.»

1872. A. McFarland, `Illawarra and Manaro,' p. 125:

«Since free selection was introduced, a good many of thesquatters (they say, in self-defence) have, in turn, availedthemselves of it, to secure `the eyes' or water-holes of thecountry, so far as they could by means of `dummies,' and otherblinds.»

1879. R. Niven, `Fraser's Magazine,' April, p. 516:

«This was the, in the colony, well-known `dummy' system. Itsnature may be explained in a moment. It was simply a swindlingtransaction between the squatter on the one hand and somewretched fellow on the other, often a labourer in theemployment of the squatter, in which the former for aconsideration induced the latter to personate the character ofa free selector, to acquire from the State, for the purpose oftransferring to himself, the land he most coveted out of thatthrown open for selection adjoining his own property.»

1892. `Scribner's Magazine,' Feb. p. 140:

«By this device the squatter himself, all the members of thefamily, his servants, shepherds, boundary-riders, station-handsand rabbiters, each registered a section, the dummies dulyhanding their `selection' over to the original holder for aslight consideration.»

2) Colloquial name for the grip-car of the Melbourne trams.Originally the grip-car was not intended to carry passengers:hence the name.

1893. `The Herald' (Melbourne), p. 5, col. 5:

«Linked to the car proper is what is termed a dummy.»

1897. `The Argus,' Jan. 2, p. 7, col. 5:

«But on the tramcar, matters were much worse. The front seatof the dummy was occupied by a young Tasmanian lady and hercousin, and, while one portion of the cart struck her aterrible blow on the body, the shaft pinned her by the neckagainst the front stanchion of the dummy.»

II.

v.

to obtain land in the way abovedescribed.

1873. A.Trollope, `Australia and New Zealand,' c. vi. p. 101:

«Each partner in the run has purchased his ten thousand,and there have been many Mrs. Harrises. The Mrs. Harris systemis generally called dummying – – putting up a non-existentfree-selector – – and is illegal. But I believe no one will denythat it has been carried to a great extent.»

1896. `The Champion' (Melbourne), Jan. 11:

«The verb `to dummy' and the noun `dummyism' are purely Australian, quotations to illustrate the use of which can be obtained from `Hansard,' the daily papers, and such works as Epps' monograph on the `Land Tenure Systems of Australasia.'»