THE OSBORNE JUDGMENT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 222, 13 January 1911, Page 3

THE OSBORNE JUDGMENT

HAS A BARGAIN BEEN STRUCK? The decision of the Executive Committee ( ,f the Labor party that the time has arrived when there shall be eliminated from the constitution "certain condition's, including the signing of the constitution," is an event, wrote the Times in a recent article, that may modify the political situation considerably. The announcement that the constitution may be thus revised cannot be separated from the determination of the party to enter upon a campaign for the "reversal" of the Osborne judgment by the passing into law of a Bill'legalising compulsory levies for Parliamentary purposes. ■ While the majority of the Law Lords who delivered judgment in the Osborne case declared these levies to be illegal, two of them indicated that they were influenced in agreeing to dismiss the appeal by the consideration that the Labor party imposes a strict pledge upon the members who are returned to Parliament under its auspices that their political action shall be subject to the direction of the party. It is this '■constitutional" aspect of the question which is considered to have stood in the way of the acceptance of the Labor party's new demands by many Liberals who do not object to the payment of members out of trale union funds. It is not necessary, perhaps, to sugsest that a political bargain has been struck, but it is difficult to resist the conclusion that tiiu proposed abandonment of the "pledge" is calculated to have its effect upon the fortunes of the Bill to which the Labor party are about to ask the. Prime Minister to grant facilities. It is one of the declared objects of the conference which is to be held on November 10 to appoint a deputation to wait upon the Trimc Minister with this object in view. It remains to be seen, of course, whether the annual meeting of the Labor party, which is to be held at Leicester in February next, will accept the recommendations of the Executive Committee. It was admitted by those who are closely interested in Labor politics that the proposed abolition of the ''pledge," for the enforcement of which the more; extreme section of the party has fought strenuously for many years past, will be opposed with some bitterness. It is to be noted, "however, that the Executive Committee contains representatives not only of the trade unions—the more moderate wing—but also of the Independent Labor party and the Fabian Society—admittedly the iutransigeants of the party.