Lake Wakatip Mail. QUEENSTOWN, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1910. REVOLUTION IN PORTUGAL.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2788, 11 October 1910, Page 4

Lake Wakatip Mail. QUEENSTOWN, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1910. REVOLUTION IN PORTUGAL.

I ast Thursday the people of (he Dominion were called upon to study the latest of those stupendous changes, tragedies, disasters and deaths that, from time to time, arise in other parts of the world. We have had during recent years earthquakes and volcanoes and murders and battles and the killing of royalty and the overthrow of Kingdoms, each in turn passing before us like pictures in a cinematograph, until we have supped so full of horrors and the .unexpected that we have ceased to he surprised at anything. Thursday's news concerned the overthrow of an ancient European monarchy and the proclamation of a Republic. Portugal has passed through the fiery furnace of revolt and purged herself of those elements which she believed were crippling her activities, retarding her advance find dragging her further and deeper into social, moral and economic chaos. Men who know the country have long been predicting what that has-|happened would happen. Portugal for years has been in the hands of men who hove plundered and robbed her without fear and without shame. By whatever name the parties were known—Conservatives or Liberals—all were bad. One writer sums up the situation in the words " there were 500 pluckers and 5,000,000 plucked." The people in the mass are illiterate and narrow though patient and loyal. But they and their labors have been shamelessly exploited. From the Throne to the Ministry, and from the Government to the House of Lords and Chamber of Deputies, and on through a small army of officials the aggrandisement and

enrichment of self has been the sole aim. There has been no consistent attempt to govern Portugal for the benefit of the Portugese. Premier has succreded Premnr in rapid succession ; Ministries have changed with the change as the seasous, and the country, apparently, was deliberately and knowingly drifting to chaos. Some two and a half years ago the world was startled with the news that Dom Carlos, the King, and hi* son, the Crown Prince, had been foully murdered in open day in the presence* of the Queen wife and mothi r and of the youth, Prince Manuel, who subsequently ascended the throne It was a horribly inhuman business; one of those crimes that cause us to shudder and to demand in our loathing that the guilty parties shall be swept from off the face of the earth. Criminals of this stamp are an offence to mankind and a slur upon our humanity. But equally detestable with the crime itself was the apathy with which the news was received by the bulk of the people. There was no genuine or general expression of sorrow. Don Carlos and the heir apparent were sent to their last home amid the half contemptuous and largely perfunctory pity of the nation. To a throne thus tragically made empty there came at the age of less than 18 years Prince Manuel. Surely, if ever a youth needed wise counsellors and men of high character around him it was this young King. But such as these he did not have. Jo the thirty stormy months of his reign there were no less than six changes of ministry, not one of which was better than the other. Conservatives and Liberals wer« alike distrusted and despised and out of their contentions and peculations, the clash of C!eric with layman, and the general indignation, the Republicans came forth and pushed forward their propaganda of revolt. ' By what piece of folly, or by what crowning act of tyranny the most recent Ministry—its name is barely known—precipitated this last great crisis we do not know. Our readers will be surprised to hear that in August a general election was to have been held and that the signs of the times pointed to the Republicans winning many victories but of this election and its results not a word was cabled to New Zealand. We were given the usual extravagant quantity of Johnson cum Cri'ppex news but of an election affecting the fate of a nation not a word! We note, however, that the chitf Republican candidate in Lisbon was Vice-Admiral Candido Reis, who is said to be a man of great influenee. This we can well believe when we now learn that it was on Admiral Reis' insistence that the great revolt of last week was begun. It is especially annoying that we are wholly in the dark as to the state of parties in Parliament The exact nature of Admiral Reis' authority and the immediate causes that led to his decision. All we know is that rumors of the King's private conduct had lost him the support of his staunchest friends, and that the Ministry were charged with asimihr insolent usurpation of private rights as that with which the Russian bureaucracy has long made the world familiar. Beyond this we know nothing and must be content to accept tho information that for what seemed to them good and sufficient causes, the Republicans staked their all on the hazard of the die, cried " Havoc ! and let slip the dogs of war." A regiment of artillery and a regiment of infantry backed by some thousands of armed civilians and the warships in the Tagus concentrated their attack upon the King's palace and on those troops who for a time preferred to remain loyal. The fighting, not of a very sanguinary kind, lasted throughout Tuesday and Tuesday night. Then the end came. The King and his mother fled, the Ministry resigned, a provisional Government was formed, the

Royal Standard lowered, the Republi can flag hoisted in its stead, amid cheers and shouts of " Long live the Republic," the remaining loyalist troops came over to the other side and the new President and his friends published manifestoes and sent messages to the Powers announcing the proscrip tion of the House of Braganza and guaranteeing order and the safety of all. So ends the first chapter in [ what is probably but the beginning of yet vaster and more startling changes.

Messrs H. Mackenzie and Sons, runholders, intend installing sheep-shearing machines at Mt Nicholas in time for the next wool-clip in December. The Qaeenstown Lawn Tennis Club will open the season on Saturday next, 15th inst.

As early in the season as this it has been proved that Lake Wakatipu trout is increasing in number and in quality. We mentioned last year that a large number of beautiful fish had been caught in the Frankton Arm and elsewhere. We are now pleased to report that Mr F. Curtis of Mcßride's Hotel, caught eleven nice fish with the minnow in the Frankton Arm at the beginning of last week. They averaged 31b each, the heaviest being s|lb. No doubt this will be the popular form of fishing during the present season.

A novel but effective method of combating the small bird pest in vegetable plantations is at present employed in a garden at the Head of the Lake. The owner of the garden caught several hawks and, cutting their wings, gave them their liberty. They were then confined to the garden, with the result that the small birds, which are usually a prey for hawks, kept entirely away, thus allowing the vegetables to get a good start. Once vegetables are properly through the ground the small birds are not nearly so destructive. /_ Football.—The Flag match between the Queenstown and Arrow Football Clubs, which was hurriedly arranged last Wednesday morning through the Southland Referees Association sending Referee McKay up from Invercargill, was not played after all owing to some misunderstanding. Arrow club, it was stated, was ready to meet Queenstown so it is probable that the latter will lose the match by default. The referee has not sent in a report yet to the Sub-union regarding tbe match so that it is hard to say what the termination of the matter will be. —f

The Salvation Army, per medium of Adjutant Walls and Captain Berghoffer, gave a most interesting moving picture entertainment in the Town Hall last evening to a fair audience. The pictures embraced instructive, humorous and educational subjects, interspersed with illustrated songs. They were all new to Queenstown audiences and easily equalled anything yet shown here. The industrial film of "egg to spit" (the process of rearing and fattening poultry) and the " Perfume Industry" were very instructive. Many of the pictures shown had their moral teachings. Another programme will be given this evening when a different set of pictures will be shown. Two of the films will be " The Lady's Companion" and " Suicide as a Profession " and they also are well worth seeing. We would bespeak a bumper house as the funds are required for a very worthy object. At the monthly meeting of the Southland Education Board held on Friday last the following business of interest to this district was dealt with :—The committee recommended that the architect be instructed to report on the conditions of the school property in the Queenstown district, as asked for by the school committee; that he prepare plans and specifications for new school building at Glenorchy in terms of application made to the Department, tenders to be invited for the work; and that he execute repairs to the windows of the school and[teacher's residence at Garston, and supply an additional desk" as applied for by the schocl committee. A resolution was adopted (1) that the architect's report relative to improvements effected to the school building at Kingston by the lessee be received and approved, and that the lessee be informed that the Board, having fulfilled the conditions of the lease, is not liable for compensation for any improvements effected to the building, but that he be allowed to remove the range provided at his own cost; (2) that Mr Dunlea be informed that the Board has resolved not to lease in the meantime th 9 school reserve applied for by him.—A request for alteration of term holidays at Athol was granted subject to the approval of the school committee. The Board also recommended payment of half cost of concrete floors to outhouses at Athol (total cost .£3.) —Mr John Mackenzie was appointed sole teacher at Tuturau. The local telegraph office adopted the new " received " telegram form at Queenstown last Wednesday, and it appears to us to be a distinct advance in the right direction. Under the new system the operator will receive the message at the instrument, whence it is removed, folded and given to the message boy for delivery. It will thus be seen that only one or two officers will be able to see the message, instead of, as at same offices, possibly a dozen as at present. There should also be a saving of several minutes in delivery, which is a consideration to business men. The Department claims three advantages for the new form, viz., (1) almost absolute secrecy, since practically only the operator reads the message; (2) the risk of the telegram being placed in another person's envelope is abolished, there being no envelope. The economical part of the arrangement has not been considered so much by the Department as the advantages to be gained by the public in quicker delivery, more secrecy, and no errors in addressing. The seal at the back of the message should always be intact on delivery. The local head of the Department would be obliged if all instances of broken seals are brought under his notice by the addressees, as the intention of the Department is to secure on the one hand secrecy and on the other prompt delivery. To open the message the seal at the back should be broken.

In the Magistrate's Court at Milton on Wednesday last, Arthur Spencer Browne, late clerk and treasurer to the Bruce County Council, appeared on two charges of failing to make entries in his bcoks, with intent to defraud the Council. Mr Eraser (Crown Prosecutor) said that the accused kept his books so far as the receipts were concerned. He properly entered all the receipts, save towards the very end. What happened was that tho bank cheques and the cash disappeared. He paid in the cheques, and the cash went into his pocket, and from his pocket he did not know where it went. He was, it was understood, a heavy drinker. It could very properly be said for the accused that he honestly entered his receipts, and so made the caso absolutely conclusive against himself, because they had his receipts on the one side, and the sums he accounted for and paid into the hank on the other. The difference, some £~>Oo, the accused was responsible for. He had made no effort to leave the country, and had facilitated the prosecution in every way. A. H. Maclean, accountant, gave evidence jthat ho had made an audit of the county books covering the whole period of accused's appointment, and had found a shortage of over £SOU. He went over all the items with accused, who was quite satisfied that he had received the amounts shown, and said he could not explain or understand the shortage. The accused pleaded guilty to both charges, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Bail was allowed as before.

Mr H. A. Archdall, a member of the Southland Education Board, has given notice that he will move at next meeting "that no teacher in future appointed to any position in a school of a higher grade than 6B shall be eligible for promotion unless he or she has served for at least two years in a country school." For the exhibit of grain in the pavilion at the Anglo-Japanese Exhibition the New Zealand Government has been awarded a grand prize (writes the London correspondent of the Christchurch ■ Press'). The chairman of the jury, a well-known judge at agricultural shows in the North of England, said it was " the finest collection of grain, seels, and pulse that we have ever seen exhibited," and was " quite a revelation to the agriculturalist in England." The Agricultural Department Is to be complimented on sending Home such a fine collection. The exhibits of Garton and Newmarket oats reached the phenominal weight of 511b to the bushel, the bushel being rated at 40lb. The other varieties sent are:—Dun, 48lb ; Waverley, 501b; Excelsior 411b; Webb's Prolific, 441b; Sparrowbill, 481b ; and Danish and Long Tartarian. Ryegrass has been sent averaging 301b to the bushel, timothy 271b, and fescue 261b. Splendid samples of wheat are exhibited. Some of it has come from the Crown Terraces beyond Queenstown, and it is confidently stated that no wheat in the world can excel it.

The photographing of the bridal party after a marriage last year was the cause of a case heard in the Magistrate's Court at Invercargill, when E. A. Phillips sued James Milne for M 10s, the value of three dozen photos. Plaintiff stated that he had taken two groups, one of the bride and bridegroom and one including the bridesmaids and groomsmen. Proofs were submitted and Mrs Milne selected some and ordered two dozen of the one and one dozen of the other. These were printed and delivered. Afterwards they were returned and left at his studio. He refused to take them back and they remained at the studio for some months, till destroyed by the recent fire. The only reason given by Mrs Milne for returning them was that she didn't care for them. Defendant stated that he roceived only thirteen and told plaintiff to print no more, as they were badly printed and were not a fair photo. They were too dark and the dresses were all spotted. His wife could not think of sending them to her friends. The Magistrate said that he thought the photos were good enough. What troubled him was about the number sent. He would give judgment for a dozen (30s) and 6s costs.

The death occurred at Waimatuku, on Tuesday of a very old settler, Mr Geo. McGaw, at the age of 80 years, reports the 'Southland News.' The deceased left Liverpool with his wife, by the sailer " Mermaid" in 1859 for New Zealand. They landed at Auckland where Mr McGaw took up land but, as trouble with the natives threatened, be left, after a residence of twelve months, for the south. Then Mr and Mrs McGaw went across to Sydney at the time the Snowy River rush began but after two or three months they returned by the Loid Ashley and, coming down the coast landed at Port Chalmers, arriving in due course in Southland, their intended destination. Deceased was a carpenter by occupation, but in those days the settlers had to turn their hands to anything that offered and he accented an engagement from Mr Reece, who had a sheep station at the Lakes. He and Mrs McGaw proceeded to Riverton in the sailer " New Chum," and, on arrival there, went on by dray to the Lakes, the journey occupying three weeks. They were ferried across Lake Wakatipu by Mr Reece's man, Bob Newton, in a little boat named the " Merry Rose," and remained in this employment for twelve months, it being interesting to note that Mrs McGaw, widow of the deceased, was the first white woman to cross Lake Wakatipu.