RUA’S SENSATION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1747, 12 May 1906, Page 2

RUA’S SENSATION.

WORDS OF COUNSEL FROM NATIVE MINISTER,

MR CARROLL EXPOSES THE

BOGEY.

(Per Paess Association.) Wellington, last night,

Speaking to a Post interviewer regarding the utterances of an alleged Maori prophet at Whakatane, the Hon, Mr Carroll said : "It savours very muoh of the hysteric:.” *' Rub,” ho continued, “is not a Eon of Te Kooti. He is just an upstart —a youDg fellow—and like all these obarlatane be piomiaee eternal life to anybody, and you always find human nature susceptible to these promises; but. like many others, this latest movement is merely a flesh in the pan. That’s my idea of it. Tbo message refers to 500 followers. F<-om all I can hear there Bre about 100 to 150. In »11 my enquiries I have not heard »hou' tb **■ persons ha tng modem fi ea rn- Th y may have a gun or t*o t.i -b ot birds i tbe bush, for it's all bush country snei-e. - ’ Though Rua is said to be an ups>a-t be has been at work for a couple of wo k- a least. The Minister commeccrd tu quote from telegrams.

“Ho was at Woiika’ane a fortnight since with about 300 iodowe s,” ran uideepateb. •* That would be the people ot tbe surrounding country collecting at a meeting,” commented Mr Carroll *' Ho was well received,” tbo wire spok-. 11 Of course people would gather around h’m to hoar him,” the Mini-tar declared ; •' when a mao proposos to cure all diseases he is bound to get a crc wd around him.” “Ho is quite a young maD, either a fanatio or a knave,” said a telegram. •* Hs is a fanatic," came the verdiot of Mr Carroll. "It is a easo of hysterics and crazes; he doesn’t see why he shouldn’t have a out in.”

The interviewer gathered that Rua was making for Waikaremoana through the U.ewera couutry. The Native Minister mentioned that he had given instructions to the polioe to keep an eye on Rua, and had sent good advice to the chiefs of the district. He did not anticipate that there was any danger of serious trouble, and scouted the suggestion. If there was anything tangible to go on, the authorities oould arrest Rua at any time, but they oould not interfere with the iiberty of the subjeot without fair grounds to go on. If there was any element of danger Rua could be secured any day. The Minister was asked whether the

natives of the Urewera had any grievance just now against the whites, and he replied that they had none.

“ At this hour of the day,” he concluded, “it is absurd to fear a Maori uprising, or any hostile demonstration of a very seriously menacing nature. I think it is only a religious tremor," he laughed ; " I don’t thirk it will oome to a voloanio outburst.”

Briefly, Mr Carroll believes that a young man, by talking “ big and loud,” iuduoes a orowd of curious persons to flock around him, and regards this as a type of exoitement not oonfiaed to Maoris, Daring last session, when Europeans were talking about certain Maoris’ adherence to tohungas, Mr Carnll mentioned Dowie, who was believed to be a saered prophet by oertain Europeans, and when there was a reference to oertain 11 remedies ” prescribed among Maoris, the Nativo Minister retaliated with a reference to Europeans’ faith in patent medioints.