MAORI "MIRACLE MAN."

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VII, Issue 2125, 6 December 1920, Page 4

MAORI "MIRACLE MAN."

•—■—■■- PREPARING FOR BUSY TIMES. [Special to The Sun.] WANGANUI, December 6. There was great excitement at Ratana Maori village to-day, when ■a large number of Maoris, some of whom bore obvious signs of sickness, arrived by the Main Trunk train. Most of the visitors came Ifrom the Bay of Plenty. They are lall sanguine of being cured by the JMaori "miracle man." About 200 Maoris have been at Ratana within the past couple of weeks. The feeding of the multitude is a big task, but Tahu Ratana, the "miracle man," says, "I feed 'em all right! I catch plenty of fish on the coast sometimes, and I grow plenty of spuds. We are never short of tucker." The only thing that is worrying Tahu is the probable shortage of water. He is making provision for summer requirements by building a large accumulator, capable of storing a few of the thousands of gallons of rain water which will flow into it from the buildings in the rainy season. The excavation has been completed, but work has been held up owing to the shortage of cement. The erection of the new undenominational church will be finished for worship at Christmas time. The Maoris appear to be greatly benefited by their stay at Ratana, and all convalescent patients attribute their cures to faith in God.