THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN, DEAD LOCK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3019, 24 January 1912, Page 5

THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN, DEAD LOCK.

It is understood that the South Australian Parliament, consequent upon the deadlock between the two Houses, will be dissolved about the middle of this month, and that the elections will take place on February 10 or 17, It is a very pretty quarrel as it stands. The Government’s appeal to Ccesar —the long cablegram despatched through the Governor to the Secretary of State for the Colonies—was of unique interest in itself, but it failed to accomplish anything. “ Extremely urgent. Legislative Council refuses to pass Appropriation Bill. No suplies to carry on business.” So it began, this doleful appeal to the Secretary for the Colonies to help the South Australian Government out of a hole. The Government, received, in reply, the following cable message: ‘‘l regret that I am unable to comply with Ministers’ request. Interference of Imperial Parliament in internal affairs of a self-governing State would not be justified under any circumstances until every constitutional remedy has been exhausted, and then only in response to request of overwhelming majority of people, and if necessary to enable Government of country to be carried on.” So the Cabinet, having carefully considered the position, has decided to exhaust every constitutional remedy, and after that has been done, then, if no remedy has been found, it will make further representations to the Secretary for the Colonies Mr Verran, the Premier, is not having any very happy time of it; and to add to his discomfiture the Legislative Council has had a message of its own transmitted to the Homo Government, in which the Premier’s cablegram is characterisod as incomplete, disingenuous, and misleading. A Sypply Bill for £600.000, to carry tile Government over the period of the elections, has been put through; and there the matter stands for the present. To use the phrase so familiar when strikes of other kinds are On. both sides are determined, and it is safe to say that the elections will cause an unusual amount of excitement in South Australia —-and it takes a lot to excite the people of that State. AUSTRALIAN SCHOOL OF AVIATION. ' The Defence Department has decided to establish a school of aviation in Australia, and the announcement has been received with general satisfaction. The department is at present looking round for the best man available to act as tutor, and it is not improbable that the appointment will bo ; given to an Australian —Mr W. E. Hart, of j Penrith, who some time ago purchased a j Bristol bi-plane, and lias bscomo so accomplished an aeronaut that ho has sue- | cocded in gaining a pilot's certificate from the Aerial League. Mr Hart has made a a number of cross-country flights, mostly between Parramatta and Penrith, and on Wednesday morning h/3 took as a passenger the Postmaster-General, Mr Frazer. About five miles wore covered in 10 minutes, and then Mr Frazer returned to earth, declaring that it was a most delightful experience. Whatever qualms he may have felt about the venture at first were speedily dispelled by the calm assurance and cogiplete confidence of the young aviator; indeed, ho said he was so im- j pressed with the perfect control of the aero- j piano that he- would have no hesitation in ■ making further ascents with Mr Hart. “ I ; never felt the least nervousness, and the j panoramic views wore superb,” ho added, i Mrs Frazer, fitod by her husband’s ontlm- ! siasm, then went aloft. The machine on ; this occasion traversed 10 miles, at an alti- i tude of 500 ft, and when she came down ! again Mrs Frazer said she was sorry it was all over, as it was so very exhilarating. Mr Hart is the only man who has received the certificate from the Aerial League in Australia, and the people of Parramatta, of which town ho is a native, have decided to present him with an address and a purse of sovereigns. THE SIX DAYS’ RACE.

Something now to this part of tho world is the six days' cycling race on tho Sydney Cricket Ground, with such champions as Ivor Lawson riding in it. At the timo of writing the race is still going on. It

was started at 1 o’clock on Monday morning bv Mr Fred Flowers, M.L.C. (Minister of Education), and it will finish at 11 o’clock to-night. We have had pur long-

distance runners and walkers, we have had our champion club-swingers and the men wiio break the piano-playing records, but this is the first time we have seen a body of cyclists chasing one another around a track for six days without stopping. Here, however, an explanation is necessary. No single man is riding the whole six days without a spell; that would be humanly impossible. They arc riding in teams of two. Lawson’s team-mate, for instance, is Mitten. There arc six-and-twenty riders all told, but only 15 are to be seen on the track at a time. Every now and again one or other of the riders is relieved by , his partner, and this is just what lends interest to the race. There is no fixed time for riding and relieving; that is pure’y a matter for the tea.m-mates. But each pair have a method of their own. Take tha case of Lawson and Mitten. Lawson is a sprinter, Mitten is a plodder. It is Lawson’s business to be there w r hen there is sprinting to be done. But how do they knew when someone will start a sprint? They don’t—they merely guess. As a rule, there is “something doing” in the early morning, and the chances arc you will find Lawson there then. Ho generally Harts a sprint, in fact, on his own account, and the others shoot after him like a policeman after a burglar getting away with his booty. That is part of the game —to play the thief, to steal a inarch on the other fellows. But to the spectators it is not wildly exciting; cs likely as not, they will not be there when there is something to see. Three men have been riding for a big prize, and not to please the public. Still, there have been good crowds on the ground. For one thing, it is a novelty; and for another there have been other cycling and athletic events in the afternoons and evenings, the grounds being brilliantly lighted up by electricity at night. They have had a man out there riding a motor cycle at 60 miles an hour round the inside of a steel globe, and another, a one-legged man riding a bicycle down 100 steps at an incline of 45 degrees—and these are daredevil, sensational events that the public like to see. A CRICKET SQUABBLE.

[ A serious disagreement hss arisen between the players and the Board of Control over the decision of the Latter body to send its own representative with the Australian cricket team to England. Some members of tlio team resent this, and demand that the players shall select their own manager, as heretofore It is even rumoured that there may be a strike of cricketers if the board persists, and that they will refuse to accompany the team to England. There is, however, no likelihood of the board retreating. “I trust,” says the hon. secretary, Mr Syd Smith, jun., “ that the players will look upon the matter in the right light, and show that there interest in the good old game is really sincere, and not a matter of pounds, shillings, and i>ence.” Rule 9 of the constitution says that the appointment of a manager of any Australian team visiting England or elsewhere shall he made by the players interested, and submitted to the Board of Control for confirmation; but unless the board directs that a manag'r shall accompany the team, there is no manager for the players to select, according to the secretary. It is the intention of the beard to inform the players when they are selected that in the opinion rf that body th© anjoointment of a ma; ager is unnecessary. When the last Australian team visited New Zealand, it will bi remembered. a rep'o:enta five of the board was sent in lieu of a manager; and this is what is now propos'd to be done in connection with the team" to y sit England. The trouble appears to be due to the failure of th© manager of the last team. Mr Laver, himself a cricketer of note, to keep books, with full particulars of the receipts and disbursements. Mr Laver took up the position that he was not a fervent of the Beard of Control; but the board’s reply to t! at is that 'unless his appointment had been confirmed of by it he could not have g-mo Horne.” “ The fact is.” says Mr Smith, “that all th ough Mr Laver has tried to ignore the hoard in every possible wav. ; Last tour he divided an equal share with the players in addition to liis expenses. Under the row arrangement only the expenses of tie beard’s repi©tentative will bo charged to th© expenses of the terur. The £4OO salary will come out of the board's share of the proceeds.”