AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 August 1927, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

(By Telegraph Per Press Association. .MOUNT MORGAN MINE. BRISBANE, duly 31. The closing of the Mount Morgan .Mine will directly and indirectly affect 10,000 people in the district. The existence of the town of Mount .Morgan was practically dependent upon the operations of the mine. FEDERAL TRADE. (Received this day at 8 a.m.) SYDNEY, Aug. 1. For the year ended 30th. dune, the Commonwealth imports totalled £164,745.1X)0 and exports 9129,309.000; imports showing an increase ol £7i 5,000 and exports a decrease of £379,000 compared with the previous year. Exports included twelve million sterling of .specie and bullion.

SHALE OIL FA ILF II E. SYDNEY. Aug. 1. After 11 years work the attempt to revive the shale oil industry at Xewnes Field where IV million pounds, mostly English capital was invested, the Commonwealth Oil Corporation has decided to eea.se operations there. It is understood the chief factor of the cessation is the oil war being waged hv foreign companies. ANTI-STRIKE LAW. MELBOURNE. August 1. In connection with the strike at C'hubbs Works, the Arbitration Court to-day granted C'hubbs’ application for restraining their three employees from continuing the strike against the Bel by Award providing for the daily hiring, which was to have begun on duly 14th. Three of the men are members of the Amalgamated Engineers' Union, and the application was granted against them as representative of the Union, so that it applies to all members of the Union, and anyone employing them may proceed against any member remaining on strike to show cause why he should not he lined £IOO per day, or. in default, lie imprisoned for three months, as provided by the Act. PRICKLY PEAR PEST. (Received this day at 1.5 p.m.) BRISBANE. Aug. 2. The Government’s efforts to cope with the prickly pear pest by utilizing the services of cochineal insect and catablustus caterpillar are being attended with hopeful results. In February 1926 20.0H0 eggs of catablastus moth were imported and placed on leaves of pear at Emerald. These have hatched well and now millions of caterpillars have spread themselves over the area, exceeding a radius of two miles from the place of release and within tbat area there are evident signs of their destruction. The caterpillar does its work thoroughly and never leaves its elunip of pear till it reduces it to a mass of fibre which can easily he destroyed by fire. The insect also leaves behind it a substance which has a poisonous effect on the pear, preventing its re-growth, and which it is hoped, may be utilised as a basis for a .serum, from which a cheap spray for destroying the pest on a large scale may he obtained. The caterpillar is proving more effective than the cochineal insect. The former insect does as much destruction in a clay as the latter docs in a month.

OIL CORPORATION. SYDNEY. Aug. 2. The Commonwealth Oil Corporation is calling tenders for the disposal of the whole df its assets, comprising a most complete, extensive plant. The managing director states the prohibitive cost of production, including high wages has ‘been the direct cause of closing down. The Corporation found itself faced with the same position as Mount Morgan mine, and found it was impossible to carry on under the high cost of nroduetion.

MIL MORGAN MINE. BRISBANE, Aug. 2. The Directors of Mount Morgan are considering a proposal to continue operations on a co-operative basis. 'l'he Mayor rtf Rockhampton has called a conference representing the shareholders, employees and residents of Rockhampton district to discuss the position with a view to the possible averting of the closing of the mine, and the resultant idling of many hundreds of employees.