THE MAORI IMPOSTOR.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10659, 12 May 1906, Page 4

THE MAORI IMPOSTOR.

NATIVE MINISTER DISCOUNTS THE MOVEMENT. (Special to Herald.) WELLINGTON, last night. A representative of the Post interviewed the Hon. J. Carroll, Minister of Native Affairs, to-day m reference to the Press Association telegram from Rotorua stating that a Maori named Rua, calling himself a prophet- and brother of Jesus Christ, is causing considerable unrest. "It _ savours very much of the hysteric," said Mr Carroll. "Rua is not a son of Te Kooti, lie is jiiit an upstart ; a 3-oung fellow, and like all these charlatans he promises eternal life to anybod.v, and you always find human nature susceptible to these* promises; but like many others this latest movement is merely a flash m the pan, that's my idea of it. The message refers to 500 followers. From all I can hear there are about 100 to 150. In all my enquiries I have not heard about these persons having modern firearms. They may have a gun or two to shoot birds m the bush, for its all bush country there." Though Rua is said to bo an upstart ho has been at work for a couple of weeks at least. The Minister commenced to quote from telegrams. "He was at Whakatanc a fortnight since- with about 300 followers," ran one dispatch. "That would be the people of the surrounding country collecting at a meeting." commented Mr Carroll. "He was well received," tlie wire spoke. "Of course people would .gather around to hear him " the Minister declined. "When a man professes to cure all diseases he is bound to get a crowd around him." "He is qurite a young man, either a fanatic or a knave," said a telegram. "He is a fanatic," came the verdict of Mr Carroll. "It is a case of hysterics and crazes ; ho doesn't see why he should not havo cut m."

The interviewer gathered that Rua was making for Waikaremoanu through the Urewera Country. The Native Minister mentioned that he had given instructions to the police to keep an eye on Rim, 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 could arrest Rua at any time, but tliey could not interfere with the liberty of the subject without fair grounds to go on. If there was 11-113' element of danger Rua . could bo secured any day. The Minister was asked whether the natives of the Urewera Country had any grievance just now against the whites, and replied that they had none. "At this hour of the day," he concluded, "it is absurd to fear a Maori uprising or an3 r hostile demonstration of a very seriously menacing nature. I think it is only a religious tremor," he laughed. "I don't think it will come to a volcano outburst." Briefly, Mr Carroll believed that a _ young man, by talking "big and loud," induces a crowd of curious persons to flock around him, and regards this as a type of excitement not confined to Maoris. During last session, when Euiropeivns were talking about certain Maoris' adhcrancc to tolumgas, Mr Carroll mentioned Dowic, who was believed to be a sacred prophet by certain Europeans, and when there was a reference to certain "remedies" prescribed among Maoris, the Native Minister retaliated with a reference to Europeans' faith m patent medicines.

CHRISTCHURCH last night. Knowing thai- Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M., possessed an intimate knowledge of the native race and their customs, a. Press reporter waited on him to secure his opinion of the probable outcome of the Maori trouble reported yesterday. In the absence of nioi-e definite information, Mr Bishop hesitated to speak authoratively on the subject, but m the course of conversation he remarked : "I think it extremely improbable that any man could gather together a following of armed natives such ns To Rua is alleged to have done. Ido not believe they could get the weapons. Te Rua is said to lie a son of Te Kooti's, but I did not know he had a- son. The term "tamati," which means son m Maori, is a comprehensive term, and may mean nephew or grandnephew, and it does not follow that because this man is called Te Kooti's son that his father was To Kooti. Ido not lliink it is worth while taking very much notice of the matter at present, and I Jo not sec what there is to cause a breach of the peace. Fear of a disturbance may have arisen largely tluough Te Kooti's association with the past history of the district, for, as you know, ho was responsible for what is known as the Poverty Bay massacre, and no doubt you will also remember that Te Kooti created alarm some time ago by starting to go overland some considerable distance, and sureties had to be found that he would keep the peace. The matter went to the Court of Appeal, and lie was bound over to ' keep the peace. The apprehension which arose then was simply on account of bus connection -with the Poverty Bay massacre, and there are people m Pbverty Bay who loathe his name and everything m connection with him.''

"Are the natives m the Poverty Bay district particularly liable to disaffection '!" asked our reporter. "Well," said Mr Bishop, "the telegrams do not give the locality where this alleged movoment. has occurred. It may be somewhere inland. Tlie natives about Gisbornie have always been most loyal, aud the massacre Te Kooti was responsible for was always regarded by the Gisborno uatives with liorror. The late Major Ropata, M.L.C., belonged to Gisborne, and he was one of the strongest allies we had. lam perfectly certain this man has not risen and gathered these natives round him all at once. There is an inclination locally to exaggerate these alarms, chiefly because Poverty Bay has suffered very severely m tlio past, and, on that accouut, it is easier to create a scare. Of course, the Government will have an intimate knowledge of what is taking place, and they will never allow it to reach a point where there would be danger of a breach of the peace. They have sources of information from persons connected with the Maoris, and they will get full advice of anything that is taking place." TE KOOTI AT OPOTIKI IN 1889.

, The present disaffection among the natives m the Whakatane district recalls Te Kooti's attempted descent upon Gisborne some seventeen years ago, when Mr R. M. Bush, S.M., made an order requiring the instigator of the Poverty Bay massacre to find sureties of £500 each tluit ho would keep the peace "towards her Majesty and all her liege people" or to "do six mouths' imprisonment m Auckland gaol., As To Kooti failed to find the sureties, he was the guest of her Majesty at Mount Eden for the term mentioned. Mr Bush's decision was challenged m tho Supreme Count, but subsequently upheld m the Court- of Appeal. There arc many colonists who Avell remember the alarm caused by Te Kooti's activity at the period mentioned. At that lime Te Kooti had not been to Gisborne for twenty years. On February 22nd, 1889, he arrived at Opotiki, his followers numbering some 250 persons, and by .the 26th they bad increased to 600. Another estimate placed them at 300 men aud 50 women, including Te Kooti's four vivos. At any rate/ his fanatical followers looked upon him as a sawed person, some of them calling him a god, and saying that they were prepared to do anything he told them to do. They said a bullet would not go through him", aud after he was put into the lockup at Opotiki they said it would not hold him. The day ho entered Opotiki he was mounted 'on a white horse, and be rode at the head of his supporters, who wore also on horseback, and who proceeded m military formation. The presence of Te Kooti and his followers at Opotiki excited general apprehension, and a number of settlers and their families quitted their holdings and camo into the town. Mr Justice Richmond summed up To Kooti fairly accurately m giving iuliriiHMil m thcCour^^^^^^L ________________________________________