THE "PROPHET" RUA.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIX, Issue 8138, 12 May 1906, Page 6

THE "PROPHET" RUA.

With regard to the telegram received from Rotorua announcing that "a Maori named Ena,. styling himself 'Prophet: and brother of Oesus Christ,' was causing considvr able unrest amongst the natives in the Whakatane district," the Hon. J. Carroll, when discussing the matter with a representative of the Post, remarked that it' "savoured very muob of the hysteric." "Rua," he continued, "in Lot a son of Te Kooti. He is just an/ upstart, a young fellow, and like all these charlatans be promises, eternal life to anybody, and you always find human nature susceptible to these promises. But; like many others, this latest movement is merely a flash in the pan; that's my idea of it. The message refers to 500 followers; from all I can hear there are about 100 to 150. In all my en quiries 1 have not heard abdut these persons having modern firearme. They may have a gun or two to shoot birds in the bush, fcr it's all bush country tliere." Though Raa 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 tbo surrounding country collecting at a meeting," commented Mr Carroll. "He was wqll received," the wire spoke. "Of course people would gather around him to hear him," the Min ister 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. "Lt is a caso of hysterics and crazes; he doesn't see why he shouldn't have a cut in " The interviewer gathered that Rua was making for Waikaremoana, through the Urewera country. The Native Minister mentioned that he had givep instructions to the police to keep an eye on Rua, and had sent good advice to the chiefs of the district. He did not antici-I pate that there was any danger of serious trouble, and eoouted the suggestion, if there was anything tangible to go on, thu authorities could arrest Rua at any time, but they could not interfere with the liberty of the subject without fair grounds to go on. If there was any element of danger Rua could be scoured any day. The Minister was ' asked whether the natives of the Urewera had any grievnce just now against, the whites, and replied that 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. 1 think it is only a religious tremor," he laughed. "1 don'c think it will come to a volcanic outburst." Briefly Mr Carroll believes that a young man, by talking "big and loud," induces a orowd of curious persons to flock around him, and 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 Carroll mentioned Dowie, who was believed to be a sacred' prophet by certain Europeans,, and when there was a reference to certain "remedies" prescribed among Maoris, the Native Minister retaliated tyith a reterenoe to , Europeans' faith in patent medicines,