THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1906.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8250, 3 October 1906, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1906.

Persia ia one uf the countries where wo should .least expect to find a reform movement in and yet the Persians have jusi succeeded in moving the Shah to establish a Constitution. The agitation for political freedom had been long in but it was tho Russian upheaval that helped it to a successful oonolusion, news of the struggle for self-government being eagerly dis-, oussed in the bazaars and at the wells on the trade routes. The Persian Government was previously a very inefficient organisation. There was a Cabinet, aud the Ministers were but Ministers in name, all ,the j power being ia the hands of the I

Grand Vizier. Even authority did not extend far beyond the limits of the capital. The provinces were handed ever to the iaeroiea of a number of governors, who usually were members of the Royal Family. These governors, according to Reuters correspondent, enjoyed absolutely autocratic powers, and many of them regarded the districts confided to their oare simply as oranges to be squeezed dry. 'lhe Shah himself favoured the granting of politioul freedom to his people, but had hitherto refrained from this step, acting on the advice of the late Qrand Vizier, Ain-ed-Dauleh. Since the dismissal of that personage, however, the Shah has hud the advice and the support of Mushir-ed-Dauleh, a liberal and enlightened adminstrator. The clergy, who, both as the direot representatives of the Pro phet and as large] landowners, possess great influence over tne people, are believed in some quarters to have been an obstacle in the path of political progross, bus apparently the advent of Mushir-ed-Datileh to power involved a deoline of the clerical influence at Teheran. The new Natioual Council will be formed of representatives of the princes, clergy, "Kajars," or Royal Tribe, □ obles, merchants and tradesmen, each class electing its own members. It will have full legislative powers, and will deoide on its own rules of procedure, and though the Acts and resolutions must be submitted to the sovereign for approval, he practically binds himself to adopt its advice. The Sbah, it is said, is himself responsible for the shape taken by the Constitution, having taken the advice of European statesmen duriug his last holiday tour.