Ratana's Latest Banking' Stunt

NZ Truth, Issue 1030, 22 August 1925, Page 1

Ratana's Latest Banking' Stunt

Extraordinary Form of Promises to Pay "At Such Time as the Office is Able to Redeem" Timoti's Long Shot at 16 to 1 Misses, and He Moves Criminal Law Vainly

A Maori, Timoti Wharekura, who took action m Wanganui the other day against a director (H. W. Downs) of the Eatana Bank, stated that he had accepted certain coupons m the belief that, m return for a deposit of £5, they entitled him to a loan of £80 from the Eatana Bank. The coupon is worded m Maori. It includes a form of receipt for money deposited, and its wording suggests that it should.be presented for payment "at such time as the office. is able to redeem the amount represented therein, together with interest." Apparently, this means that "the office" will pay when it is able to pay, if asked. When Timoti did not get his expected £80, he had at least three courses before him: (1) to do nothing; (2) to bring a civil action; (3) to bring a criminal action. He chose the last, and proceeded as for false pretences. Magistrate Barton dismissed the information. A sample of the curiously worded coupon is printed below.

HE Ratana commo- ; tion is widening and deepening. Ratana started on a healing boom, m which nearly everyone wished him well. But no one can keep ;i healing boom at fever heat. When things fell a bit

flat, Ratana looked for a new mission. And lie found it— or Peter Moko found it for him. Under this new phase of development, Ratana rose from liealership to church- founding. And banking-, of course, was m .line with that. Also,. he^toQk t° cruising overisea.: • ■ ' ''' ■■■'■" ■ .-....:

And it is a fact that he is giving religion, finance and , politics a rare old shake up. Not for a very long time has . there been, such a burst of innovation m the sphere of routine. International Mission. First, as to politics: War-confiscat-ed lands and complaints ■of breach of. the Treaty of Waitangi .have given rise to deep-seated Maori grievances. It seems to be clear ' that Ratana, when he went oversea, was prepared to champion them to the King of England. But he. was told that it was a matter that must be settled ' m- the Dominion. Disappointed, Ratana went to Geneva, but could make no progress with the League of Nations. 'Tis said that he tried Germany. And certain it is that he cai-ried his grievances to Japan, where, it is alleged, "certain people undertook to do what they could to assist the Maoris m getting their lands back." All this is interesting at a moment when Ratana is said to be contemplating a jaunt to America to return the visit of the Fleet. But" international politics is. an indefinite soi't of -sphere, m which it takes a long time to get anywhere. In religion Ratana is securing quicker results. It is. announced that he is calling; his church "The Church of the Father, Son and Holy. Ghost and the True Angels"; and Anglican Bishops and some Presbyterians are wrath at this attempt to add to the Trinity. ' "Truth" does not pretend to be a theologian. It does not know whether Ratana's departure is seriously endangering mono-theism. It does not know how many angels come within the category of "True," and how many are of lesser grades. Also, It doubts whether Ratana knows: But "Truth" sort of gathers that the protesting Anglicans and Presbyterians don't like the idea of an unknown number of spirit-world • entities, ■ called "True Angels," being elevated to apparent equality with the Deity. And it is quite conceivable that among the Maoris — children of Nature who, even as they wander round at night, will chatter or chant .to scare away "evil spirits"— the idea of angel-worship

may be found to be first cousin to devil-worship. But "Truth" has no desire to probe the "True Angel" belief any further than to show that Ratana's innovations are liable to have bewildering results. His is the most remarkable figure that has yet appeared among the modern Maori. Compared to Ratana, Rua of the Uriwera was a mere circumstance. Ratana : will probably accomplish something before he is done with religion and politics. But what that something will be heaven only knows. Timoti's Fiver. Pass then" to finance. The other day m Wanganui a remarkable attempt was made to get at Ratana's bank per medium of the criminal law. The attempt failed, but incidentally it threw light on some interesting matters." And here let "Truth's" Wanganui rep.- take up the tale:

THE LEAGUE OP THE WELFAEE OF THE MAOEIS OF AOTEA TE WAIPOUNAMU, CHATHAM ISLANDS, NORTH ISLAND AND SOUTH ISLAND. An undertaking confirmed by the League at Ratana Pa on the 25/5/03. Received from the sum of to assist the League. This Docket is the receipt to be retained by the holder and to be returned to the Money Office of the League at such time as the office is able to redeem the amount represented thereon, together with interest. Dated this

It is very evident (he writes) that some of the followers of Ratana dp not fully understand the vagaries of his banking institution, as was disclosed at the Wanganui Court the other day. before Mr. J. S. Barton, S.M.. when Wharekura Timoti, of Wanganui,' proceeded against H. M. Downs, director of the bank, for allegedly obtaining money by false pretences. The wording of the charge was : v

"That on or about July 10, 1924, H. M. Downs, of Ratana, by a false pretence, to wit, a statement that the said Wharekura Timoti was entitled to recieve £80 from the Ratana Bank m return for an investment •of £5, did procure the said sum of £5 to be paid to and delivered to the said H. M. Downs as representing the said bank."

There was a great gathering of natives m Court dux'ing the hearing of the case, and the most interested behind the bar of the .Court were the clerks from the Ratana Bank.

Form of Coupon on Which Timoti's Action Relied.

Lawyer Tom Slipper piloted the case for Timoti, and Lawyer W. J. Treadwell was present to look after the interests of Downs. Timoti related how he took along 1 a hard-earned fiver to the bank. He was delighted to learn that when he had deposited' this m safe keeping and received a whole pocket full of coupons, 80 at £1 - each,, he would be entitled to a loan of £80. Some two months later Timoti made a special trip to Ratana to lift his SO quidlets. .and, according to his account of the interview with Downs, it was not • very satisfactory from Timoti'f- point of view, as he was informed that there was no hoot m the bank : • - ■■-. Had Traded His Coupons. Timoti departed very sour, for he owed half a hundred to George Me-

Gregor, a well-known officer m the Maori Battalion during: the war, and he had given George sixty of the coupons wherewith to liquidate the debt. | Timoti then had great patience, for he waited a further six months before making- up his mind to again interview his bankers. This time he took Georgre along- with him as spokesman. George confronted Downs and apparently did most of the talking. To Timoti's sorrow he was told that the coupons were worthless - scraps of paper, and that they were not worth one pound. Timoti, when he had weighed m a fiver, could not see the force of that argument, and was more surprised still when he was shown a ledger entry for only £4 16s 4d for his £5. Under cross-examination, he denied that he only paid m £4 16s 4d, but thought perhaps that the bankers had taken the odd 3s 8d for interest or something of the kind. He denied that he received any receipt for the money except the coupons. He was firmly convinced that he would re-

ceive the £80 loan on the strength of the fiver. Lawyer Tread well: All it amounts to is that Downs has not carried out his bargain to lend you the £80. George McGregor, the next >witness, sparked up well. He stated that Timoti gave him 60 ,£1 coupons to square a debt. George went to Eatana to collect, and his interview with Downs was not satisfactory. Downs showed him the £4 16s 4d entry m the ledger, and, as he closed the book, remarked: "Don't think we have not enough money m the . bank to pay the coupons." He also remarked: "Do you demand payment of these coupons?". George replied that it was not exactly a demand, but a request, and he hoped that there would be no need to resort to demands. £5400 m Safe. Downs then produced a piece of paper with columns of figures, and said it was their balance-sheet, and, giving the safe a kick, he remarked: "We have £5400 m there." George replied: "Well, why not redeem these coupons?" Downs then imparted the disconcerting information that the paper George held was worthless. George remarked: "We will see by and. bye whether your bank is allowed to keep on issuing worthless* stuff." George was about to leave the institution, when Downs said to him: "Look here, your place is on this side of the counter, helping me to run the affairs of this bank, instead of being on the other side of the counter stirring: up dirty water." George replied that m the best conducted banks there was no dirty water to stir up. Downs told him that Timoti knew he had not deposited £80 m the bank. He heard no veraark marie by Downs that Timoti should have paid more before getting the coupons. .....Under cross-examination, George said he still had some of the coupons, and some he had handed on to another man to try and collect. Lawyer Treadwell then sought to establish that George had been turned out of the pa for a certain reason. George indignantly denied this, and remarked that the pa did not belong to Downs. He admitted that he had run a picture show at the pa, but it was not on terms that Ratana should receive half the takings. The arrangement was that, after the machine had been paid for, Ratana was to have a portion of the profits. Lawyer Slipper raised the point that this was not relevant, and the Magistrate agreed. Left of Own Accord. George, continuing, said he left Ratana' of liis own accord, and not on account o£ any boosting on the part ' of Downs. Lawyer Treadwell said that he was at a loss to see where there had been any false pretence. The informant's story simply amounted to the fact that, m consideration of his depositing £5, he would be given a loan later on. No time for that loan had been stipulated, and, at the very outside, it only amounted to a breach of contract for which there was a civil remedy. The Magistrate agreed that there was no case to answer as far as false pretence was concerned. The information was then dismissed. Lawyer Treadwell explained that a committee had been formed at Ratana for the purpose of encouraging thrift among the Maoris, and to get them to save their money. When a certain amount was paid m, coupons were issued, and the amount carried interest at the rate of 4% per cent. There was another system that allowed deposits on the instalment system, and when a certain amount was reached the coupons were issued and interest was payable. In the present case the amount had only been partially deposited, but the clerk made an error m issuing the coupons. A similar mistake had been made m another instance, and trouble had arisen. The coupons (see inset) are m Maori. They are most ingeniously! worded documents, and there, is no mention of the. Ratana Bank.