RATANA’S FAITHFUL

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3657, 25 June 1927, Page 3

RATANA’S FAITHFUL

EXPLOITS IN THE NORTH. MEETING-HOUSE CUT IN TWO. KAITAIA, June 22. Away in the Far North, where the Tokerau Land Board holds considerable sway, a few of the Ratana faithful have the happy knack of making things merry at odd times. At one stage of his career the prophet could boast of not a few adherents in many parts of the north, but since the tidings of liis famous motoring exploits at Wanganui reached the far-flung outposts of his empire the number of “loyalists” has dwindled. There still remain those wdio believe in his infallibility, and for some time there have been differences between them and the “Government natives over various questions. The “Government” natives are adherents of the Church of England, and as a class they are thrifty and hard-working, anxious to progress and rise above the lot of the ordinary Maori in these parts. Recently a farm scheme was put into operation by the Tokerau Land Board, for the purpose of assisting the natives of Te Kao to become more than foragers on beaches. The land which it was proposed should lie used was vested in the Tokerau Land Board. Matters proceeded smoothly for a time, but there were rumblings from the camp of the “phopliet’s” few which indicated that all was not well. „ , “SEPARATION” OF INTERESTS. A dispute arose over the ownership of the Maori meeting-house at Te Kao. The apostle of the one and only Rat ana rightly claimed that they had an interest ill the meeting-liouse, and they wanted that interest separated for themselves. How to go about dividing the precious house was the problem, hut the.-apostles soon found a solution. In spite of warnings from Mr Wattj the Native Land Board’s representative at Te Kao, and a telegram from the president of the Native Land Court, a band oi Ratanaites one fine day marched to the meeting-house armed with saws, mews, and meat-axes, and immediately set about cutting off some 14ft. from tiie building. This they removed in sections to a site of four acres about half-a-milo distant, and they proposed to erect a building of their own. The remaining part of the meetinghome was left open to all the winds ot heaven. VIOLENCE AVERTED.

When the Ratanaites .commenced operations oil the building their opponents wanted to prevent them, even though force might be necessary, but tiie good counsel of Mr Watt deterred them from interfering in any way; otherwise there would have been a real ding-dong fight over the building. The part of the building which was removed is now sjmply lying in sections on the Ratana site.

The police received a complaint oi the npostle’-s action, with the result that on Monday last 12 Ratana Maoris appeared before Mr F. H. Levien. S.M., at the Houhnra Police Court, and were charged with wilful damage of property, and an application was made to hind them over to keep the peace. Each was convicted and admitted to probation for 12 months, one of the terms of the probation being that they reinstate the building within two months. On the question of a bond the magistrate reserved his decision. HUMILIATION AHEAD.

The Ratana men are now faced with the humiliation of having to reinstate the building in full view of the mocking eyes of the “Government” natives. So convinced wore the offenders that they were on the right track that they pleaded not guilty to the charge of doing nilful damage to property.

“CRUMBLING” IN WAIKATO. TRIBUTE PAID TO l-’OUNDKR. WELLINGTON, June 22. “The Ratana movement is crumbling to pieces in the Tatipo and Waikato districts,” said a woman worker in the Maori mission field at the Presbyterian missionary campaign meeting at St. John’s Church last night. Site said that Ratana had done some verv fine work for the Maori people by leading them to give up their old beliefs in atuas. He knew his people were idolaters at heart, but by his simple teachings he led them hack to the Church. His great power, however, was that of divine healing. Ratana would have made a greater teacher if left alone, but he had committees of elders who had sidetracked him irom his simple truths.