NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1888, 24 October 1913, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

_ The answers supplied to the questions by Mr. Scott respecting' the case of Captain Seddon may bo best described as illuminating. They throw a flood of light on what can only be regarded as a very remarkable episode. It now seems, from the ofheial information laid beforo Parliament, that Captain Seddon went to England to undergo military training at the expenso of the Dominion on March 23, 1911. He was not called on to sign any agreement to serve in New Zealand on his return, although other officers had entered into such agreements. Ho returned to New Zealand on August 26, 1913, but did not resume duty until September 17. A fortnight later he resigned from the service. It cost tho country over £1400 to send Captain Seddon to England to undergo tho training that was to be turned to the benefit of New Zealand when ho returned. For that expenditure of £1400 odd on his trip to England and the military training and experience it 'brought him, Captain Seddon, according to the official records, gave' to Now Zealand in return exactly two weeks' service. There are other features of the matter which might reasonably provoke comment. Oaftain Sede->n landed in England early in May, but although he went to England, at the country's expense to undergo military training, he absented himself there without leave until October 3—a period of five months. Sift Joseph Ward, who was Prime Minister in 1911, in the House a few days ago, professed to be virtuously indignant at anyone daring to probe thiß matter of Captain SedDon's cost to the country, and the return he gavo for the money spent on his trip to England. It is not difficult to understand now, in the light of the facts disclosed, why tho Leader of the Opposition should be bo very anxious to smother investigation.

Some fine things have been done in the way of historic pageants in England and other countries in recent years, and now one of these interesting exhibitions is to be held-in Wellington. It is to take place to-mor-row and on Monday next, and it is said that it will be the first of its kind seen in New Zealand. The pageant is deserving of success if only for the fact that it is in aid of a most praiseworthy object—tho Boys' Institute; but it will have considerable intrinsic value both as an interesting spectacle and from an educational point of view. It will call to mind in a- striking and impressive manner somo of the great events in our national story by making the scenes and characters live again before our eyes. The Boys' Institute is doing excellent work among the lads of Wellington by keeping them off tho streets at night and. providing them with instruction and recreation, tho aim being to form character and make good citizens. . Tho work of the institute is at present hampered for want of a larger building, but the generosity oi,numerous friends has resulted in a site being secured, and in the raising of £5000 for the building. It is hoped that the balance of £2500 required to complete the scheme will be provided by the pageant and the bazaar which is to follow it.- The citizens of Wellington may ■ coniidently be relied upon to see that, both these functions are thoroughly successful from every point of view, go that- tho institute may be given every facility for carrying on and extending its good work 011 the most advantageous lines.

The news of the death of Dr. M'Aethuk, S.M., published in yesterday's Dominion, was received with deep regret throughout the City, for deceased had made many friends, and few, if any, enemies. Dr. M'Arthur had won distinction as an educationist before he entered the i legal profession, and' those who were taught by him in days gone by at the Auckland Grammar School or Queen's College always speak appreciatively of their old schoolmaster. He understood the juvenile mind perfectly, and he was able to enter into the most friendly relations with his pupils without weakening the discipline of the school. His career as a Magistrate was marked by a spirit of common sense and natural justice which won for him the esteem of all with whom he came in contact. Whenever possible ho tempered justice with mercy. He could sympathise with weakness and misfortune, and he was always ready, as far as his senso of duty would permit, to give a man another chance or the benefit of the doubt; but he had the greatest contempt for hypocrisy, cant, and humbug in every shape. Few men knew human nature in all its forms as well as he did. This enabled him to see through shams and subterfuges, and also to make allowances for those who may have fallen foul of the law through weakness rather than) viciousness. Dn. M'Arthur proved a good friend to many an unfortunate, and he gave short shrift to the oppressor of the poor and needy. Ho had an unfailing supply of good humour, and could always enjoy a harmless joke, both in Court or out of it. He will be greatly missed from his accustomed place, and his absencc will be sincerely regretted by all whose business brought them into contact with the people's Court of this City.

Portugal has never been able to get back to a normal state of affairs 6inec the overthrow of the Monarchy, Xho revolution .has been fallowed by.

a continuous reign of terror, which periodically reaches a more than usually acute stage. Tho Republican Government has so far been able to copc with the plots which have threatened its existence, though the situation has at times been extremely critical. The Lisbon cablegrams published in yesterday's issue show that another attempt to overthrow the existing regime has been suppressed, and we arc told that the position is so uncertain that "a whispered word in a cafe is enough to consign a suspect to an underground cell." The Government is threatened on one side by the Socialists and Syndicalists, who are very active in the towns, and on the other by those who are desirous of restoring the Monarchy. The trouble has been intensified b.y the distress which has resulted from the exodus of capital, and to the crippling of the charitable institutions controlled by the Church. Poverty, discontent, and sedition are widespread, and the chaos is increased by the activity of the Carbonarios, a secret society, which directs its operations against the Monarchists, and which now appears to bo plotting against. the Republican Government also. Arrests are continually being made, and the condition, of tho political prisoners is said to be pitiful in the extreme. The Duchess of Bedford, who recently visited Portugal, draws a shocking picture of the state of the country in an article in the Nineteenth Century and After. She throws the blamo on the corruption of the Government, which, she states, is kept in powor by means more cruel, relentless, and unjust than those which propped up the throno of Ivan the Terrible in Russia. She declares that "from the midst of this confusion one power has risen supreme. A secret society had organised the assassination of King Carlos and his son.! and the nucleus, during the two years which elapsed before the revolution of 1910, grew and developed into the body of men now known as Carbonarios, who may be fitly described as political anarchists. ' As regards the present conspiracy the cablegram significantly remarks that the Government is acquainted with its details and "will mete out dire punishment to the ringleaders." The punishment- will be terrible indeed if it exceeds in severity that which other political prisoners have had to endure, judging by tho description given by the Duchess of Bedford.