THE MAORI "PROPHET."

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8108, 12 May 1906, Page 2

THE MAORI "PROPHET."

MERELY A YOUNG CHARLATAN.

HON. JAMES CARROLL INTER VIEWED.

FSB PBEBS ASSOCIATION. Wbilisoton, May 11. Speaking to a "Post" interviewer regarding the utterances of the - alleged Maori prophet at Whakatane.the Hon. Mr Carroll said, " It savours very much of the hysteric." " Bus," he continued, "is not a son of Te Eooti. He is just an upstart, a young fellow, and like all these charlatans, he promises eternal life to anybody, and you always find human nature susceptible to these promises. But like many others, this latest moyement is merely a flash in the pan. That's my idea of it. The message refers to 500 followers. From all loan hear, there are about 100 to ISO. In all my enquiries I have not heard about these persons having modern firearms. They may have a gun or two to shoot birds in the bttsh, for its all bush country there." Though Rua is said to be an upstart he has been at work for a couple of weeks at least. The Minister commenced to quote from telegrams. "He was at Whakatane a fortnight since with about 300 followers," ran one despatch. " That would be the people of the surrounding country collecting at a meeting," commented Mr Carroll. •He was well received," the wire spoke. " Of course people would gather around him to hear him," the Minister declared. " When a man professes to cure all diseases, he is bound to get a crowd around him." "He is quite 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 erases. He dosen't see why he should not have a cut in." The interviewer' gathered that Rua was making for Waikaremoana through the Urewera country.

The Native Minister mentioned that he had given instructions to the police to keep an eye on Sua 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 wore anything tangible to go on, the authorities could arrest Bua at any time, but they could not interfere with the liberty of the subject without fair grounds to go on. If there were any element of dinger, Sua could be i secured any day.

The Minister was asked whether the natives of Urewera had any grievanee just now against the whites, and replied they had none. ' "At this hour of the day," he concluded, "it is absurd to fear a Maori uprising, or any 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 volcanic outburst."

Briefly Mr Carroll believes that a young man, by talking " big and loud " induces a crowd of curious persons to flock around him, and he regards this as a type of excitement not confined to Maoris. During last session, when Europeans were talking about certain Maoris' adherence to tohungas, Mr Cirroll mentioned Dowie, who was believed to be a sacred prophet by certain Europeans, and when there was a reference to certain " remedies' practised among Maoris, the Native Minister retaliated with a reference to Europeans' faith in patent medicines.