1908: Phony Baloney Balneology Boom
August 13, 2023
By AHNZ
Today in New Zealand history, 13 August, 1908, the new bath house at Rotorua was opened by Premier Joseph Ward with a golden key. This impressive Edwardian (Tudor in style) building is still with us today and known to us as the defunct Rotorua Museum. That building was only an intention¹ in late 1902 when Arthur Stanley Wohlmann (balneologist) begain overseeing deveopments of a State-owned therapy complex based on hot springs. Against the less than 6 years it took to build, Rotorua Musuem has, as of 2024, been in mothballs for 8 years and is likely to remain so for many more despite expensive restoration and extentions called ‘The Centennial Project’ that have been going on since 2006. It’s a scam. Ref. 2016: The Rotorua Museum Scam, AHNZ
The Government, of course, has absolutly no business in promoting and exploiting any of the health fads that frequently crop up in human history. Free people are perfectly capable of adopting, creating, running, and patronising their own tourist services and health resorts. Yet, as early as 1881 the thermal springs around Rotorua and beyond were taken over by The State to the exclusion of all others. No developers, no hotels, no entrepreners could lift a finger unless they were part of the Wellington Mafia or licenced by them. In 1908 a new health craze featuring water and electricity cropped up and once again the Government sought to exploit it even if the scientific basis for the medicine was shonky and potentially deadly.
[image, left. Dumb ways to die or therapy? Government balneologist jolts a client in a bathtub in Rotorua Bathhouse]
In 1883 Rotorua was constituted a special town district under the Thermal Springs Act (1881.) The law was passed, the Rotorua Town Act (1907,) to make the Department of Tourist and Health Resorts in charge of administering Rotorua’s municipal affairs. They had no local government until Rotorua Borough arose in 1922. The idea was that simple-minded citizens and tourists would pay the Wellington Mafia (at this time the Liberals; Seddon, Ward) large piles of money to get to the magic healing waters and electrical currents. Propaganda media (eg the above picture) was created by The State to help get people to fall for it. They found their man in Wohlmann who was flying high presiding over this Rotorua Revenue stream complex and the “treatement” of visitors as well as other sites around the country. His last job was at the Royal Hospital at Bath, England, which must have been a great thing to have on a CV in this case. However, the ignorant people Wohlmann exploted for The State turned persecution on him after over a decade of patronage because of another fad; He had a German-sounding name. Ref. 1939: No-Fault Persecution, AHNZ
Balneology, especially when involving electrical current through the human body, was a phony baloney boom. Part of the reason The State should never be in the medicine business is that they add the trust and authority vested in them into ideas and enterprises that no free people would ever pay for with their own money. This was the same Liberal Government that had tried to make it rain the year before opening the Rotorua Bathhouse by shooting the sky with guns. Ref. 1907: Taxes Spent on State Weather Control Scheme, AHNZ
It was also yet more pork-barrel politics along with exploitation of people with genuine health ailments. This was a fact not lost on the author of this Obserer cartoon (image, right) called The Ruru’s Welcome. On the other hand, or, as well, the owl may be calling out “more pork” to a visiting American naval officer because then, as now, officers are offered the slur of ‘pig’.
According to Arthur C. Clarke’s Third Law any sufficiently advanced technology is indinstinguishable from magic and so it was with electricity. New Zealand had been pioneeiring this new form of energy since the late 1880s and the social impact was still being adjusted to for at least a generation to come. “Manufacturers were quick to try to attach the miraculous properties of electricity to a range of other products. Thus electric foodstuffs were publicised in 1893, electric stove polish, in 1895….” notes Rennie (1989.) People didn’t really understand electricity except as a mystical spirit that was ‘in’ things and had miraculous properties. So, why not suppose that it could cure all manner of diseases? Rather than correct the misconceptions the Government poured petrol on this superstitious phony baloney and parted fools from their money. A similar thing happened in 1910 with flour due to excitement about radium and to ice cream and to ice cream in 1955 due to excitement about uranium.
Basic folk will always believe in fads that come and go that forces they don’t understand will have medicinal properties. X-rays, magnets, crystals, dream-catchers, homeopathy, mRNA gene editing etc. do nothing positive for anyone beyond a placebo effect. Responsible doctors would repudiate the phony baloney. Joeseph Ward’s Government pumped it full of taxpayer money and built a Tudor Tower complex to push it on the people in 1908. Meanwhile, the same government outlawed others for trying to peddle nonsense of a similar sort with the Tohunga Suppression Act (1907) and Quackery Prevention Act (1908.) Hypocracy is the lifeblood of The State.
“When you believe in things that you don’t understand then you suffer. Superstition ain’t the way.” – Superstition, Stevie Wonder (1972)
“But the pusher don’t care, ah, if you live or if you die…God damn The Pusher man” – Steppenwolf (1969)
The Wellington Mafia came to Te Wairoa and the Terraces waving their ‘Thermal-Springs Districts Act’ (1881) which banned all hotels, developers, entrepreneurs, estates, or interests unless they were licensed to (aka paying into the coffers of) the Government.” – 1886: Mt Tarawera Exploded, AHNZ
“The first appointee was Englishman Dr Arthur Stanley Wohlmann, who had worked at the Royal Hospital at Bath. After touring the spas of Europe, Wohlmann arrived in Rotorua in 1902. As well as overseeing development of the spa there, including construction of the Tudor-style bathhouse, he visited and reported on thermal pools around the country…Because of his name, Wohlmann was the victim of misplaced anti-German hysteria during the First World War. He retired to a secluded house on the outskirts of Rotorua, and changed his last name to Herbert.” – Nancy Swarbrick (2006,) Te Ara
“Arthur S. Wohlmann, appointed official balneologist in 1902, enthusiastically supported the combination of electrical treatment and spa bathing. When Tudor Towers treatment centre opened under his charge in August 1908, he wrote referring to electrical treatment, that ‘there was, at Rotorua, a very complete installation of apparatus.’ – Rennie (1989)
“Sir Joseph Ward opened the new bathhouse, which has been erected in the sanatorium grounds. Having opened the door, with a golden key, Sir Joseph Ward, accompanied by the official party, ascended the balcony, where he delivered an address…gross receipts to the Government from Rotorna hava increased 153 per cent. The population has risen from 900 to 2000…The building contains the last word of science in the electrical massage and other methods of treating disease….”Rotorua,” he said, “is unique inasmuch as it belongs to the people and is managed by a State Department. I trust the building I am opening may prove a success, both as a pleasure resort and a place where pain will be alleviated and sickness cured.” (Applause.)” – Evening Post (14 August, 1908,) Papers Past
At the opening today, by chance or by planning, the Americans happened to be in port and attended the grand opening at Rotorua. Admiral of the Fleet, Charles Sperry, is even claimed by Rotorua Museum’s website to be the man who opened the new building rather than Ward. However, the newspapers of the time do not back that up. Ref. 1908: The Great White Fleet, AHNZ
From this time forward a curious quasi pilgrimage tradition has carried forward involving the US State, NZ State, and Rotorua. Lefty Statist Darling and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt even visited in 1943 to give us the benefit of her 40s Wokism and US officials continue to go to Rotorua today. Ref. 1943: Eleanor Roosevelt Aggravates Unrest, AHNZ
The officials visiting today were met by “hakas of welcome” danced by both sexes of Maoris. Peter Buck was there to translate where required and local chief Kikiaroa’s speech explained that a male warrior challenge was the style because the American visitors were warriors. Had they not been warriors it would have been women leading the greating. I wonder if that convention endures or not these days?
The chief went on to be a bit provocative in a good-natured way that at other times in history would be taken as insulting depending who the target was. Kikiaroa (who probably never sailed anything larger than a paddle boat) told the international commander that his ancestors crossed the Pacific Ocean long before Columbus and Erikson! Further appropriating the valour of the long gone prior culture he said that Anglo-Saxons were still hugging the coasts while his people crossed oceans!
Sperry shot back at the native, again in a cheeky and rivalrous humor that would trigger people in another time and place. He said, “The Anglo-Saxon race was spreading over the Pacific, and wherever it went it ameliorated the condition of those peoples who became its subjects.” Touche, chief!
“Welcome to our distinguished visitors who are sprung from tho same lineage as the AngloSaxons and our King Edward tho Seventh. We specially welcome you because the Maoris are a seafaring people, and in the olden days when your ancestors were hugging the coasts they sailed in canoes dubbed out with axes all over the Pacific Ocean. Long before Columbus discovered your country or Leif the Red touched upon its shores, our tribe came to New Zealand in the Arawa canoe from which we take our name.”
“Replying, Admiral Sperry thanked the Maoris very heartily for their welcome, more especially as it was from one seafaring people to another. The Anglo-Saxon race was spreading over the Pacific, and wherever it went it ameliorated the condition of those peoples who became its subjects. He again thanked them for their welcome, according to the ceremonies of their race…Many valuable presents were then made by Maoris to the guests, including several handsome kiwi feather mats, flax and fibre mats, kits, a sword, war belts, meres, taiahas, pouwennas, and other weapons—some very ancient and richly carved.” – Interesting Ceremonies, New Zealand Times (14 August, 1908,) Papers Past
It would be very interesting to know what became of the gifts made by the Maoris to the guests. Especially so when we are not just talking about 1900s artifacts but “very ancient” ones. I have made some attempts to find out where our gifts to President Roosevelt and the Great White Fleet ended up. However, last time I checked the Roosevelt collection (Sagamore Hill) was in a jumble and waiting for some new building space. Ref. 1908: The Great White Fleet Gift, AHNZ
Anything kept by the Sperry himself would not be kept in his possession for long. He died within 3 years at the age of 63. Maybe the so-called curitive powers of Rotorua’s waters did not restore his youth and vigour? Premier Ward, on the other hand, kept going, and in power, until the age of 74 in 1930. However, by then our decrepid Premier was “falling about the passages.” Must not have had time to stop by Rotorua for some sparky medicinal compounds? Either that or it was not, after all, most efficacious in every case. Ref. 1930: Death of Joseph Ward, AHNZ
—
1 ” It is intended to build a new bathhouse in the sanatorium grounds…” – Hawke’s Bay Herald (October 1902,) Papers Past
Image ref. Electro-galvanic bath at Rotorua, c.1920s. Charles Spencer photo, NZ Railways; Alexander Turnbull Library; Colourised by AHNZ (2023)
Image ref. “More Pork” cries the ruru to the officer. Observer (August 1908;) Papers Past
Image ref. A TALE OF WARRIOR DAYS: AN OLD MAORI CHIEF AT ROTORUA ADDRESSING ADMIRAL SPERRY, AUGUST 13, 1908. Auckland Weekly News, Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections; Colorised by AHNZ
Ref. Power to the People, Neil Rennie (1989)
Ref. Opening the new bath house at Rotorua. Sir Joseph Ward performing the ceremony. NZ Graphic Collection, Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections
Like Comment Share
