THE COLONIST. Published Every Morning. Monday, March 13, 1911. THE NEW REGIME IN PORTUGAL.

Colonist, Volume LIII, Issue 13053, 13 March 1911, Page 2

THE COLONIST. Published Every Morning. Monday, March 13, 1911. THE NEW REGIME IN PORTUGAL.

Ai/rHOUGn the Republican Government seems to- have established itself firmly in Portugal with a good deal less difficulty than might havci been expected, there is no lack of evidence that its chief troubles are yet to come. It lias been able to deal with the petty jealousies and bickerings among the parties responsible for its existence and eager for the spoils of victory, and to adjust the labour disputes which followed the revolution. It was the project of a handful of politicians and offieors, and the republics was called into existence without notice in a night by a fortunate combination of circumstances. It might fall at any time by similar means, and no doubt Royalist conspirators all over tho country, and exiles in other parts of Europe, are striving hard to stir up a counter revolution. Unless tho new Government speedily justifies its existence the masses of the population who were not consulted prior to the revolution, and had no opportunity of expressing their views on the subject until practically all was over, may make themselves heard in a way that will be interesting. Their tacit acquiescence in tho new order may count for little, as without organisation, which takes time to perfect, opposition would have been fruitless and daoigerous. Sc far tho Provisional Government has not done, much to encourage the hope that with the revolution has dawned an era of peace and prosperity. An Englishman in Portugal, writing in tho "National Review," gives a most lugubrious account of tho present state of affairs. So far, he says, the Government has carried out no reforms of any value. It has only aggravated the disorder that formerly prevailed in all departments of public life. Its legislation has been incoherent, and it evidently lacks men of judgment and experience. "What makes the middle classes still more doubtful about the Republic is the stoppage of trado that has resulted in Lisbon since its establishment. The best families are leaving, and the shopkeepers and merchants find that thay are badly out of pocket in consequence. There seems indeed to be an exodus of well-to-do people from the country." In November thore were about a hundred different strikes in progress simultaneously, and the unrest extended even to the students of the Industrial Institute, who, to the number of about two hundred, went on strike. School 1" boys went on strike, and so also did midwives. In one day twenty-four new strikes wore chronicled by the newspapers. According to Senhor Marchado dos Santos, the man who made th« revolution and is now editing the "Intransigeant," the strikes, the indiscipline in the Army, and a number of other things all point to the necessity for the Provisional Government placing in leading positions throughout the country tho marine officers who actually took part in the revolt. "President Braga had to choose between Army dictation and Navy dictation. Naturally ho chose- the* former, and risked offending Machado dos Santos. He now has the dead bulk of the Army with him, also tho heavy politicians and inefficient generals who sold Dom Manoel. But on tho other hand he has against him practically all tho machinery which caused the revolution—Machado dos Santos, the Navy, the secret societies." Tho Government's now divorce law has irritated the family sentimemt of the Portuguese, and its Press law has destroyed the liberty of the P^ess. But the chief mischief, according to this Englishman in Portugal, was done by the new rent law. Up to the present tenants taking houses have been in the habit of paying six months' rent in advance. The new law makes one month's rent sufficient. "The effect of this will bo that no tenant at present occupying a house neied pay any rent at all. For the now law lays it down that before a tenant can be ejected for nonpayment of rent, the written contract between him and the landlord must be produced in court. As it has never been customary to have written contracts in these matters, all tenants in Portugal are now, to all intents and purposes, rent-free owners of the houses which they occupy. A landlord can now raise tho rent of a house on the ground that its v value! has increased owing to the increase of business in the district, and if he ejects a shopkeeper from his house, the latter can claim compensation to «& iMimit-

fltd extent.' As a result q{ this law thousands of workmen aro out of work and are begging pitoously in tho streets. On the other hand, thousands of capitalists aro leaving the country." The Republican papers are alarmed, and oxhort strikers to go back to work. They declare, that the Republic is on its fi-ial before tho world, and. that if the strikes continue the Government will collapse.