INTERCOLONIAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2666, 19 April 1905, Page 53

INTERCOLONIAL.

MELBOURNE, Anril 11.

The seismograph at the observatory recorded the earth tremor at a time equivalent to the Indian shocks last week.

A farmer found a sack floating in an irrigation channel on his farm at Tatura. It contained the dismembered body of a man. The face had been cut off and every means taken to prevent recognition. SYDNEY, April 11.

Th? annual conference of the Commonwealth Chambers of Commerce was opened to-day. The acting-president, Mr Knox, M.H.R., in his opening address, dwelt lengthily with the political situation of the Commonwealth. He said that although the political attitude of the chambers was non-party in regard to political affairs, andi while it was manifestly desirable they should continue to avoid contentious party politics, it was becoming " a matter of pressing concern to these bodies to consider whether great national questions of the hour which were affecting &o

seriously

the maintenance, integrity, and

intentions of the Common-wealth Constitution do not call for these influential bodies

to emphatically

declare themselves by

energetic resistance to the serious persistent tactics of a vigorous and well-organised minority, -which was seeking to subvert the intention andi spirit of our Constitution. The next general election must be fought out upon lines which will not pre-

vent the Chambers of Commerce using their organisations to assist in securing the maintenance of a proper interpretation

of the Constitution by opposing class Legislation, which, if pursued, must inevitably hamper commercial and industrial progress

and involve insecurity and lack of con- , ndence. which would retard the inflow of j capital and population. The Labour party i subordinates the fiscal issue and all other

considerations to securing its fighting platform. The Labour party offers an example I of organisation in method, in uniformity,

in definition in its programme, which

might be well followed by those who opposed the revolutionary Socialistic . planks of its plalfoim." Th.<? president earnestly submitted his personal views that the political outlook was sucli that "wo may now fittingly consider whether we should not vigorously co-operate with other organisations for what Ls a national piirpose and not a party puipose, with a

to securing united action upon a

precise and definite programme which I would' make for stability and confidence at j home and abroad and be in clear opposition j to the Socialistic efforts of this minority." j IIOBART, April 11. \ A proclamation has been gazetted absolutely prohibiting the importation of potatoes from New Zealand and Norfolk Island.