LONG PUBLIC CAREER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14465, 6 March 1909, Page 10

LONG PUBLIC CAREER.

A STRIKING RECORD

(Per United I'sess Association.)

CTIRISTCHURII, March 5. Very general regret was frit in law \'( ld r l °'' lll ' v ,vllf-n ''• l,pcame kno "'» that ill' E. IV. Seager, wim for the past. 17 years litis occupied the position of usher '. the .Supreme Court, was to bo retired at the end „f th e ]11W}nl m]]lh _ hb exceeding the limit hikl down' bv the regulat.oiK Mr Seager has h;,,l j | on „ and varied experience of Government forv>ee. datng back almost to the ot die province, anil he is one „f n'ie ]10 \v u-ry few pioneers in whom rest the tradmons of the past. He canie out to Aev Zealand when a voimg man of 20 »' Hie fliip Cornwall, arriving in Lvltcl- ©" on December 15, 1851. „ year 'after the ai-m-iil of the historic first four shins [0 joined the Armed Constabnlarv, at that tune under the command of (ho late ,h,;„'i f llS! K""»J, *lio afterwards attained eminence ,„ provincial and general Government affairs, and after a H>w ( months- service was made corporal, in the lot owing year he wi:s raised to Ihe position ot sergeant, ami about the vear llii* he succeeded Mr (now the li on ) (.. C. Itowen as inspector of the consUibnlary. While holding that office he wis appointed public prosecutor under the Arms Act. a Maori commissioner, inspector of slaughterhouses, and emigration offices, and for a time also he acted as ciork to the Magistrate's Com! It was during bis coiinecfiou with the con. stabuiarh that the gold rush broke out. ami so latal a fascination did the rush become that practicallv ihe' whole police force abandoned the smiTio and baton for the shovel and pan. Men were wanted, and a number of Maoris Mere brought down from the North Island and sworn ill an pnliw? constables. But the scheme did not work very satisfactorily, and Europeans wefe engaged as fast .is they could be obtained until the full strength was made up again. On leaving the c'onstabularly Mr Seager was appointed, chief gaoler for Lyttciton, Cliristcluirch, and Timaru. TIIO gaol was then, as now, situated at Lyttelton, but there was every difference between the two buildings. Thn gaol then was built of wattle and "dab" (i.e., clay), and when Mr Seager look charge he first of all caused a strong wall to he built around the gaol, which up to then had lacked this protection, and then set to work with the aid of prifon labour to build a new gaol. There were 17 lunatics in the gaol when Mr Seagor assumed control, and these unfortunates wore mixed up with the prisoners, the consequence being that they were often robbeu of their food, sou in other ways ill-treated. Mr Seager noted this state of affairs with disapproval, and he immediately caused to be erected a new building for the accommodation of the patients. Attendants were appointed, and a great improvement resulted. Kven this did not satisfy Mv {■•eager, and he forwarded to the Government a strong recommendation that a. proper iunalic, asylum or montul hospital should be established quite apart from the goal premises. This recommendation was approved of, a design was prepared, and an asylum, the original part of Siiimyside, was built, and Mr Seager placed in charge. His experience in asylum matters was recognised all over We colony, and he was requested by Sir George Grey, and afterwards by Sir Edward Stafford, to -report on the reorganisation ol the asylums at Auckland and Nelson le.spectiveiy. His reports wero approved of, and iiis recommendations adopted. Mr Meager continued in charge of the gaol for 25 years, when lie was succeeded by a medical superintendent, Dr Ilaeoii.. Heroic leaving he was granted extended leave on full pay, and made a trip to England, and collected much valuable information relating to asylums more generally mi the cities of England, Scotland, anil Ireland. It was tho intention of the Government at that time to build a central asylum for imbeciles and idiots, and Mr Seager was advised that ho was to take charge, but some hitch occurred. mil l the vote fell through. Mr Seager then left the Govermvveut employ for 11 few months, and was thtn appointed usher at the Supreme Court, which position he has held ever since. Some year* ago Mr Seager was 'appointed the Canterbury Law Society s librarian, and it is understood he will continue to bold that position.