AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1351, 31 January 1912, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

FOUR MILLIONS. NEW-BUILDINGS IX SYDNEY. Sydney, January :t(). Tho_ report of (he Master ISuildoW Association stares that information lias bc.Mi '.'btaiued from the Water and Sewerage Hoard as to tin. , new building.* eroded during the twelve months ended December 111, 1911, showing the actual or estimated cost, of the buildings actually completed, and not the, amount, spent on buildings which were not actuallv completed. The figures are as follow:— Number Assessed ~ ~ of Annual Capital Var. Buildings. Value. Cost. 1905 3.507 103,-ISIi - IM9 5.3;u -mm IS'? -1.685 - -J..-,()n.521» I J II «,r.)2 3G9,2G0 3,825,182 On the figures for 1911, the city of Svduey shows a total of 2!H> buildings, costing. .£962,547, as against the suburbs G«G buildings costing .£2,552,6:i0. Information was al«o sought, as in previous years from the principal brickyards with a view to getting some comparison of the output, but the committee is informed that, owing to the fact that a number \oi new yards have been started during the past" few years, and arc now in active operation, it is practically impossible to get any reliable information of a comparative character: but tho activity of the trade can be easily seen from the fact that all the yards are turning out all the bricks they possibly can, with fheir present plant and aboTjr,:and that they are selling pverv brick they make. As a matter of facial the present time builders have to wait at least six weeks from the time they give, their .orders: ■ACROSS AUSTRALIA. CYCLISTS LONG RIDE. Francis -Birtles. -the- overland erclisf arrived .at Adelaide from Perth on Sunday night. He covered the. -19,, miles- in- 201 days' J ( .,s 10 minutes.: The; previous best record was.2, days. 15 hours.. Birtles resumed tho ride .eastward at 2.30 o'clock on -Monday afternoon, and hopes to reach Melbourne on-Friday, and Sydney four davs later. . If-lie succeeds, that will make" a 30 days -through trip-, of. 3000-.miles-;i substantial reduction .of the present record -of ,16- days 15 hours, established by I; White in May last. > ' . ' ■• : Birt|es hits also captured all the inter-mediate-records,, and .-considers his latest achievement unparalleled in tho world lor. cross-country work, as it heats all corresponding rides, standing to tho credit of American wheelmen. Birtles thinks- the Federal Government is making a mistake in the choice ot route for the transcontinental railway. 'It seems to me," ho said, "that tho track lies too far to the north to be of any practical uso for commercial purposes. The people out thero now will not use it, because they have already constructed roads and provided watertanks and sheds to enable them to cart will and wheat to the coast. The line should run through tlie centre of the RO)d district, which would mean taltine it 30 or -40 miles south of the proposed route. "Ac- a defence, the railway will >o useless, because the plan is to take it within 60 miles of the coast at one point. Once you get beyond tho 9in. rainfall belt the. country falls away rapidly, and you get out on the limestone plains, devoid of soil or trees. The only hope is to chanco invasion, anil make a commercial line of it by building a broad-gauge trunk railway right through without touching the Kalgoorlic line at all."

THEATRICAL UNIONS. ACTIVE,

TKOUBLE THREATENED. Thero am murmurings of coming trouble in the air in connection with, the theatrical profession. It has been reifcrted to the executive of the Actors' Union that an.attempt is being made to victimise members of the union, with the result that the secretary (Mr. H. Mercer) was instructed to forward the following letter to the two other bodies connected with employment in theatres—the Musicians' and Theatrical Employees' Unions: "I am instructed to write to you in connection with the attitude adopted by certain theatrical managers towards the union. An agreement has apparently been arrived at by the various theatrical maimgeinents in consequence of which members of our organisation have been, or are being, dismissed. The union intends to bring the matter before the Labour Council, which has promised support in the event of such action l»ing taken by any theatrical management. 1 would be glad if your union would give consideration to the matter and let nio know what action its members are prepared to take in the event of trouble arising with any particular management. The question is of vital importance to your union as well as to my own, for if we win we shall strengthen the organisation of theatrical unionists, and if managers win thoir hands will be strengthened against your union. I would be glad if you will appoint representatives to meet the executive of the Actors' Union in order that action upon the matter may be discussed."

It is stated by officials of tho Actors' Union that for years ■ actors have had the right of entry to the various theatres, but recently some of them havo been denied admission, and have been told openly that tho reason was their connection with the union. This they did not consider of nearly as great importance as the latest development.. During the last week several members had resigned, and it was alleged that tlreir resignation was a condition of their receiving engagements. Other members had refused to take.engagements upon those terms. Tha resignations could not be accepted as a case was pending before the Federal Arbitration Coiirt.

Recently the Labour Council, after discussing a report from the delegates of the Actors' Union, in which a threat of victimisation was alleged, carried a motion promising assistance, nnd delegates u-ed the word "boycott" somewhat freely. APPEAL TO THE PEOPLE. IX SOUTH AUSTRALIA. The South Australian election campaign is being prosecuted with great vigour, and it ia pretty certain that in the great majority of instances the Eght will bo restricted to the accredited nominees of the Labour and Liberal parties. There are several so-called Independent candidates in tho field, but iu each case they arc being supported by the Labour party. - The Assembly consists of 40 members, of whom 12 are elected by the metropolis and 28 by the country. At present tbo Ministry holds all the metropolitan seats, together with nine in the country, thus having a bare majority in the Assembly, while. Mr. Coonibo, the only Independent in. the last Parliament, voted with Labour. Two years ago the Liberal vote was split in several of the country districts," wherea* this time it will be solid. The Premier (Sir. Verran) and his colleagues are sanguine that they can keep all the city seats,, and win one or two mors in the country. The Liberal Union, on the other hand, hope for one or two seats , in.the city. Special attention is being'paid to the electorate of Torrens, which is practically identical with Boothby, where Mr. Gordon won the late Mr. Batchelor's vacant seat last year. . Torrens returns five lnornbers to tho State Assembly. ■ The Liberals also hope to secure at least three or fnur additional scats in the country, in' which case they would return with a majority. Half of the members of the Legislative Council sirs also retiring. Three arc elected by the city and six by the country districts. The Labour party is making n strenuous attempt to secure all three cicy seats. At last election all tho Labour nominees were successful, but at the byelection a few months ago a-Liberal won. Tho retiring Councillors in the city are the' Chief Secretary, Mr. Wallis (Labour), and .Messrs. Mould™ and Morris (Liberals). In the l , country districts so far no Labour candidates nave l>ooll announced for ariy of the Council scats, and it seoms likely that the party, so far as the Upper House is concerned, will concentrate its efforts on the city. In tho last Council tho only Labour members were fnur representatives of cily districts. The other 14 members were nil Liberals.

Tile election in nil districts takes place on Saturday, February 10. and excitement is gradually being worked up, so that it is likely that both sides will poll their full strength, as the result ia s-n much iu doubt. Thero is special interest in the wnti;-l, nnd ''ItoUob iditMurs of ;> vigorous character are being held,