SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1329, 5 January 1912, Page 5

SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

» — THE POLITICAL CRISIS. Bl Tdejrarh-Press Assnctj.tion-CoPTriffht Adelaide, January i. The Government has appealed Colonial Office in connection with the political crisis, but the Imperial authorities decline to interfere with the internal affairs of a self-governing colony until every constitutional remedy has been exhausted. The Legislative Council on Wednesday night carried a resolution for forwarding to the. Imperial authorities protesting that the Premier's message to the Colonial Office was incomplete and misleading. Both Houses have passed Supply to carry the Government over the elections. It is understood that the dissolution will take place in tho middle of January, and the election early in February.

The political crisis in South Australia has arisen through the action of the Legislative Council in refusing to pass an item of .£IO,OOO for the establishment of brick ivories in the hills, near Adelaide; and another item of .£IOOO for the purchase of timber and firewood for re-salo. After a conference between the two Houses, which lasted two days, at which no settlement was reached, Ministers moved that the disagreement with the suggested amendments by tho Council should be insisted upon, thus throwing upon the Council the whole responsibility of rejecting tho Appropriation Bill. J.hi 3 -it did on December 23, and, as a result, tho Government was left without any money for the payment of civil servants, and the increases and advances to which they were entitled under the Estimates. The Opposition suggested to the Govern, ment that it should bring, in a bupply Bill and offered to pa-ss it through all stages in five minute?, but this the Government refused to do. The Treasurer, however, found that ho was enabled to pay the bare salaries of civil servants without advances or increases under the Appropriation Bill, which the Council had accepted, and in that way the wages for December were paid before Christmas.