The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, June 20, 1912. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1059, 20 June 1912, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, June 20, 1912. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

The Hon, G. W. Russell, Minister for Internal Affairs, addressed a meeting at Port Chalmers on Monday evening, in which he stated that Mr John Robertson, M.P., had been returned to Parliament pledged to support the Liberal Party, and had since pledged himself to abide by the decisiou of the caucus and follow whoever was selected as leader. In reference to Mr Robertson’s pre-election pledges, the Minister is either misreported, or he wilfully attempted to mislead his hearers, presumably with the object of glossing over the tactics resorted to by his party during the crisis in order to carry on. Mr Russell’s memory is surely suffering from overstrain. Has he forgotten that the nominee of the Flaxmills Employees’ Union pronounced a plague on both parties, condemned the Liberal Party and likened it to the poor little chameleon, and informed his audiences that if elected he would vote the Ward Administration out, and finally rode into Parliament on the back of the Masseyites ? Has he forgotten that the same Mr Robertsou broke bis pledge in the House by voting for the party he had previously condemned and sought to justify his action by explaining the difference between the spirit and the letter of a pledge. And now, forsooth, we learn from Ministerial lips that Otaki’s representative was pledged to support the Liberal Party ! We don’t know what Otaki’s member may do in the future, but we do know and the Dominion knows and the Hon. Mr Russell should know that his protege’s entry into the political life of this country was accompanied by a piece of political contortion unparalleled in the history of New Zealand politics.

Despite the Tohunga Suppression Act and the constitution of Maori Councils —we haven’t much faith in the latter —the tohunga still flourishes among our dusky brethren, and is doing a great deal of harm in a number of Maori villages. Only recently we were informed that a native in this locality, whose family was affected with some physical disorder, sent tor one of these quacks. If only half our informant’s story of his treatment and conduct is true, he deserves to be hunted down, exposed and punished. It is impossible lor medical men to properly treat the natives while these tohungas are about. The Maori Council has, we are pleased to say, placed the doings of a tohunga at a local pa in the hands of the police, who are now investigating. At the Kaikohe S.M. Court recently, Retete-te-pae, an old Maori tohunga, was fined ,£ls and .£5 3s 6d costs for causing tne death of a native girl. The evidence' v, as of an amazing nature, and showed to the fullest tne credulity of the average native. It appeared that on April 13th the girl was indisposed, but her illness was not of a serious uatuie. By the tohuuga’s orders she was taken away from her home and placed in a teat in the bush. Here the tohunga visited the patient and commenced to “cure” her. At intervals the tohunga made incantations, and poured cold water on the girl’s body. Four days from the commencement of the treatment the unfortunate girl died. During the hearing of the case, Seuior-sergt. Moore unfolded a fearful record of Retete-te-poe. “He is an old offender,” said Sergt. Moore. “Some twenty years ago I was stationed in the Kamo district, and I repotted this tohunga for causing nine deaths by tohungaism in the Nguuguru and Kiripaka'districts. In those days his practice was to point out healthy natives and inform them that they were ‘makutu’ (possessed of an evil spirit). The patients were scalded in hot water, and in the inhuman process their screams could be heard miles away. The patients were then stripped and laid on the beach, and kumera and potato poultices were applied to shift the evil spirit. The next stage of the process of treatment was to stand the patient upright clad in a sheet only. Nine Maoris died on that occasion. Retete-te-poe achieved consequently much notoriety. The sequel was more astounding still. The matter was reported to Wellington, but for some unaccountable reason no action was taken by the authorities, except an intimation to the tohunga which practically amounted to “don’t ,do it, again.” Sergeant Moore reminiscently told the Uourt of some ot the accused tohunga’s alleged witchcraft when the mana of the chosen ol the evil spirits was big in the laud. Apparently other spirits figured in

the repertoire of Retete-te-poe. He never travelled without a stock of bottled whisky ot a reliable brand. One of his “supernatural” feats was to produce irotu inside his coat a full bottle ot spirits, then an empty spirit bottle. The contents had vanished in accordance with a magic spell. The assembly ot simple-minded natives looked on and wondered. Lo! this tohuuga was great. The police authorities should grip the tohunga business with both hands, and that without delay.