MAORI "MIRACLE MAN."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17664, 28 December 1920, Page 5

MAORI "MIRACLE MAN."

! RATANA'S FAME SPREADS. GREAT NATIVE GATHERING. HUGE FOOD SUPPLIES. | [BT TELEGRAPH. OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WANGAXUI. Monday. When Tahu Wiremu Ratana gave up dairying and wheat-growing over 12 | | months ago to devote his whole time to the sick people of his race he had not | : the remotest idea he was to gain notoriety to the extent he ha.s. For months past : there has been a long trail of sick and I suffering Maori humanity leading to Ra- ! i tana, where the " miracle-n.an " resides. I Over 3000 assembled to spend Christmas j - Day at Ratana, and to participate in I the opening of the new undenominational I church which Tahu has built of his own I I accord and mostly with his own money. ■ The assemblage was probably the most interesting and largest of * any Maori | gatherings along this coast for years, j Four large marquees, 130 smaller "tents, j ; a large meeting house, and Tahu Ratana's private dwelling were all used for accom- j modatnig the visitors. Practically every I native tribe in the North Island "was re"presented. Even then hundreds were j obliged to sleep in the open. The large j ; gathering was unique in that there was a complete absence of liquor and the conduct and general behaviour of the crowd I ; was considered to be beyond reproach. • Of course the feeding of such a multitude was a heavy task, yet it has been I j performed in the most liberal measure, j i Some idea of the healthy Christmas appe- ! : tites enjoyed by the majority of the I ! visitors may be gauged from the "fact that j the daily consumption of food included I 8 bullocks, 20 sheep, 20 pigs, and 350 | large loaves of bread. Other supplies S which were used to supplement this food I as occasion required included tons of potatoes, 6 tons of sugar, dozens of boxe* | of butter, 1500 dried shark, 15,000 fresh ! and smoked eels, sacks of mussels and ! Pi£f' °° of mutton birds, and j 1400 tins of biscuits, besides hun- I j dreds upon hundreds of tins of jam and I | fruits. beveral hundred turkevs, ducks and geese were also drawn on. It is I needless to observe that the transport of I | the Maoris, the live stock, and the huge i quantities of stores over the railway line I w,|| increase railway revenue to a very I substantial extent. Anticipating a dry period, Tahu , arranged supplies of artesian water, and j tor tour days last week motor-lorries were encased in tanking artesian water from lurakina to Ratana. about 20.000 gallons havincr been transported to the feasting rendezvous, where it is stored in a huge concrete cistern large enough almost for a swimming pool. Electric Light Provided. The encampment has been efficiently lighted by electricity. A large plant has been installed for steaming potatoes, thus it will be seen that the commissariat arrangements were on the most extensive 6cale. Ten Maori butchers were engaged in killing and preparing the meat for the ovens. The hygienic side was not neglected. All rubbish and food from the dining tables was cleaned up after each meal and burned. The opening of the church took place on Saturday, and was most impressive. Every denomination was represented. The religious arrangements were under /the control of the Rev. R. Haddon, of the Taranaki and West Coast Methodist Maori Mission. The Roman Catholic priest celebrated Mass at the conclusion of the combined Protestant service. On Christmas afternoon Tahu Ratana held a special service, covering a period of fouir hours. He claimed that 100 sick and infirm Maoris were cured by faith in God during that time. Maori Council's Decisions. A meeting of the Maori Council was held to-day and unanimously decided to support the suggestion of Tahu Ratana and appeal to all the tribes to abandon | tohungaism for the true God, and to ask | Parliament to legislate so that the preaching of the doctrine of tohungaism might be a punishable offence. The meeting breaks up to-morrow, and I the troubles of the railway officials will | commence. How they are "going to convey the Maoris over the Northern and Southern lines in one day is a task the transport officials never anticipated. They say they cannot provide anything like the adequate rolling stock required. The Maoris planned for 2000 leaving to-morrow I and 1500 the next day, but it is extremely i doubtful if these arrangements can be carried out. | The religious fervour of a. good many of the younger men was overshadowed by the racing spirit, as quite a large number left for the Manawatu races this morning.