THE PSYCHIC MEN.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1707, 26 March 1913, Page 8

THE PSYCHIC MEN.

— CLAIMS & WANTS. LAID BEFORE HON..A. L. HERDMAN. "Militant" is the word which best describes the attitude of Spiritualists who waited 011 the Hon. A. L. Herdman, (Attorney-General) .yesterday. The denotation represented the New Zealand National Association of Spiritualists (registered). The request was that the Government should introduce a Bill giving Iho association a legal status. A copy of the proposed Bill was handed to the -Minister, together with' a number of periodicals issued by Spiritualistic organisations.

Mr. \V. C. Nation, of Levin, president, said that the desire of tiie association und of Spiritualists generally was to imvo ,the same'protection as was'now given to religious denominations and to clergymen. Spiritualists had an association and societies, which were registered, but tliey liad ho legal status. Any of their workers were liable to be brought before a police Court and charged with having no lawful means of "support or with acting fraudulently. They had nothing to do with those who were acting fraudulently, but there were men ajid women who had psychic gift?, and it was these that the association wished to protect.. Mr. W. M'Lean, of "Wellington, vicepresident of the association, entered into an elaborate defence of Spiritualism, and stated that Spiritualists desired liberty to purify their societies, and, further, power fo.issue licenses to.reputable "mediums." Ip Los Angeles, he stated, the city- council charged "mediums" a dollar a day. This was an acknowledgment- of the mediums," but the fee was excessive. Poor peoplo could not pay it, and as a result tliero had been illicit practice, just as in this country there was sly grogselling. Seasonable fees might bo charged, however, and paid into the Consolidated Fund or such other fund as the Government might choose. People unacquainted with .the phenomena and philosophy of Spiritualism said that Spiritualists'were all crazy, but he had obtained official information thnt there was not a single Spiritualist in the asylums of the Dominion. Some people,said that Spiritualists were dishonest, but a very smiill percentage of then; were found to be criminals. Spiritualism was inaugurated, Mr. M'Lean stated, G5 years ago, and according to the latest estimate there were '.!Q,000,000 Spiritualists in Hie world. After further elaborating his contention that Spiritualists had proved themselves thoroughly respectable people, Mr. M'Lean stated that Mr. Balfour, formerly I'rime Minister of England, was a in ember of the Psychic Research Society. Mr. Herdman: That is quite ' another thing from your organisation. Mr. M'Lean said that it was only another branch. The Psychic Research Society did not demonstrate. He added that the lato Mr. Gladstone had said that Spiritualism was the most remarkable thing in the.world, and that Mr. Alfred Deakin got all his oratory first from the spirit circle, and had written a very excellent book entitled, "The Now ' Pilgrim's Progress," which had since, however, been removed from circulation.

Mr. J. W. Taylor (Nelson) also supported the request of the deputation. The Minister, in renlying, said that no one who knew Mr. M'Lean could doubt that he was perfectly sincere in the views to which he had given expression. It had not been mad? clear to him, however, that any religious organisation <liad any statutory constitution. -While Mr. M'Lean was speaking he had 'asked him whether his organisation was protected by Statute in Great Britain or in any of the Australian colonies, and 110 answer was made to the question. It had been said that members of the Spiritualists' organisations were liable to be brought into Court and charged With having 110 lawful means of simport. Mr. Nation: "It is (tup." He added that numbers of Spiritualists had been convicted.

Mr. ITordman said, that while it. would 1m his duty to submit the request of the' deputation to Cabinet, he could not hold nut any hope that he would rccommend his colleagues to' take up the Bill sul> initted him. Some further discussion inok place, in the course of which the Minister asked tho members of the deputation to name one religious body in New Zealand which existed by virtue of ais Act upon Statute 13odk. Mr. lUTean: You could Tiot stand up and say that you were a Methodist uarson. They woulu. prosecute you in a moment!