THE COMMONWEALTH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12711, 5 August 1919, Page 6

THE COMMONWEALTH.

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received August 5, 10.50 a.m.)

SOCIALIST PARTY OF AUSTRALIA. SYDNEY. August 6. The Labour Extremists’ Conference resolved to call the new party the Socialist Party of Australia. Included in its objects is opposition to Imperialism and militarism, of all forms, and ooposition to all forms of legislation likely to retard tbs abolition of capitalPRICKLY PEAR PEST. The Federal Government is giving £4OOO and the Queensland and New South Wales Governments each £2OOO yearly, for five years, for the establishment of a Research Institute to study methods for the eradication of prickly pear. OVERSEAS TRADE RECORD. MELBOURNE, August 5The Commonwealth overseas trade last year was the largest on record, being valued at £211,439,667, of which the exports accounted for £122.648,347 and the imports for £98,791,323. MISSING STEAMER. BRISBANE, August 5. More wreckage of the Llewellyn has been discovered, but there is no trace of survivors. (A previous message stated that the Government steamer Llewellyn, which left Rockhampton for Bowen on July 16, was missing. As the result, of a search, wreckage of the steamer was found on St Bee’s Island.)

THREAT TO SEIZE COAL. The Minister of Railways, commenting on the refusal of the colliery owners to supply more coal for the railways at present prices, stated that if this attitude were persisted in the Government would seize necessary supplies.