HOSTILE MAORIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 208, 2 September 1926, Page 11

HOSTILE MAORIS.

TROUBLE AT THAMES. OVER A TYPHOID PATIENT. RATANA SECT DEFIES LAW. HEALTH DEPARTMENT ACTS. ("Star" Special Rrporter.) Sn«d -stable difficulty and S"convenience with natives, parSntarly down at the Thames and out on the Luraki Plains. Upon investigaSμ being made it has been found that & group? of Maoris from which he "oublo has sprung are members of the Batana sect. On occasion the Ratanaites have adopted menacing attitudes and Save gone so far as to defy the Government officials in the execution of their duties. During the week-end a glaring case happened at a Maori settlement called Kopuarahi, situated near Kerepeehi, on the Hauraki Plains. Natives Show Hostility. A message came through to the head office of the Auckland District Health Department that a Maori child was sick. The illnese had not been reported officially and it was decided to send Chief Inspector B. A. Franklin to the settlement to make investigations. He was accompanied by Nurse Jarrett, and immediately the natives realised who the visitors were there was great excitement in the pa. Prior to this, however, it was plainly evident that scouts had been sent out to watch the approaches, because immediately the car containing the officials hove in sight a native boy ■was observed to make off at top speed through the cabbage trees which surround the camp. By the time Inspector Bennett and Nurse Jarrett arrived a considerable body of natives had gathered in the vicinity of the hut in which the sick child was located. Gesticulating wildly the Maoris surrounded the little party, and at first absolutely refused to allow the health officers to see the baby. The position was explained to them in a diplomatic manner, but still the Maoris remained adamant. One old woman in particular was most abusive and she was apparently the ring-leader. It transpired that she was the mother of Rangi "the apostle of Katana," who was the "big man" of the settlement. The health' officials remained firm, and at last they were permitted to see the child, much against the will of the majority of the assembled Maoris—particularly the women. \ ;0n entering the raupo whare a scene of confueion met the eye. The helpless" foaby was very ill and was covered with the usual Maori clothing, amidst «[nalid surroundings. It was found that the patient was suffering from typhoid, and the health officers'decided "fliat in order to save its life immediate ftmoval to the Thames Hospital was . iterative. When thin fact was •nnpunced then the trouble really com■uoed. , This time "Rangi the S'-n"* a lea< * in ß part, and Wpite all,endeavours the removal was prevented. ;,y Dr. Cheseon Takes Finn Stand. was sent to Auckland and Dr. H. Chesson, medical officer of health for the district, iseued instructions for the patient to be removed—by force if necessary. Dr. Cheeaon also gave orders that if the child died meantime, no death certificate was to be issued till a coroner's inquest was held. Next day, Chief Inspector Franklin, Inspector H. H. Martindale, of Thames, Nurse Jarrett and a policeman proceeded to the pa. Again there was a demonstration, but not «o hostile as previously. The mother of the sick child, although •he wished for it to be properly attended to, was in great fear of the other RataMitee, and especially "the apostle." ' After & little time, however, the patient was placed in the motor car and made as I comfortable as possible. Accompanied *y the weeping Maori mother, the party m»de the journey back to the Thames. It W not an easy one and when crossing the Kopu ferry waves dashed up And ever the car on the punt. Later it was learned that the natives were etill in a state of excitement over tne removal of the patient, and as there WM a likelihood of the disease spreading, Or, Cheseon decided to proceed to the c*mp himself and to have a korero with Bangi, the apostle of Ratana, and his «nd of followers. Accompanied by the «JT ealth ins P cc tors, Nurse Jarrett and representative, he arrived at "* P* on Monday afternoon and expressed the wish to see Rangi. Once *g»in the scouts were out and when the .PMj;y arrived at its destination, not an able-bodied native was to be seen. Rangi was also missing, but old men Maoris, including the aged father of Rangi and ttveral women and children, clustered round. At first nobody in the pa knew Where Rangi was- The other men were working on the drainage works. After »uch questioning it was learned that Kangi had gone away in a cart in the Borning" The natives were quiet, but »y their demeanour it was observed that wtye was still a spirit of resentment Manifest. When, however, it was «Pl«ned to the assembled natives that J*' Cheason was "te big rangitira of Health, , the mother of the sick child SWe.all the help she possibly could. She Mwered the many questions put to her, jot was evidently in great fear. When «< Lheeson entered the whare where the latter of Rangi was huddled up on the Pound in front of an open fire, the . jnpther went to Nurse Jarrett and, crying ■'■ ?™, rl y» begged her to tell "te big chief" ■et to question her any further because on *y S e t her in to more, serious . «oV>le with the Ratana people. Only One Law Here. the natives Dr. Cheseon 'jjjjjsj it quite plain that the Government would not stand any nonsense. £~was no use them thinking that J* 14, ** or his apostle Rangi, could ... °* IT the Health Department. If there wu any sickness in the camp it must 5* reported at once to Nurse Jarrett. Department was out to do "trything in its power to help the ■"• m ■ ' specially when there was sick- **• »bout. But it must be distinctly iv/? tood that there was only one law "Mhie Dominion, and the Government it for pakeha and Maori alike. *«wveroment and the Health Depart"™»'~did not want any trouble with the '•fiX. ,, but Jt mUBt be realieed by all that when a case of sickneee P^rrM-. eepecially one of typhoid— alth Officers had certain well duties to perform for the good Whole community. It was no * the natives to endeavour to a 7 sickness, and they must ly understand that if such were Ufled then those responsible 'oe liable to get into serious

Turning to Hawera, the apostle j Rangi's aged father, Dr. Chesson said: | "You tell Kangi I have been here, and tell him all I have said. You say to him that he is acting wrongly and that if he persists he will find himself in serious trouble. Now I want you all to hear this. In other pas and Maori places when sickness has come, the " natives always notify the nurse or the inspector. This has taken place in other camps where the people are Ratanaites. I know what I am talking about," proceeded Dr. Chesson, "when I tell you that Rangi is not acting under instructions from Ratana. Ratana desiree that the natives should have the benefit of the Department's nurses and health inspectors. The Maori women in ' other Ratana settlements up in the North help our nurses, and when " Ratana's Maori Committee hear of what has happened here, and elsewhere in this * district, Rangi will get into trouble. ' You tell him from mc that I will not s stand any of his nonsense and neither " will the Government. He should have s been here to-day and we know where he is, although he has seen fit to go away. Now, remember well what I r have said," remarked Dr. Ohesson I finally, "and if there is any more 1 trouble then you will hear about it." The doctor's words appeared to have made a decided impression on the assembled natives, and their attitude . had completely changed when the * official party left the pa. On inquiry at the Thames Hospital •■ yesterday it was learned that although f the Maori child had been so ill it was doing well.