WHAT THE OSBORNE JUDGMENT MEANS'

Grey River Argus, 25 November 1910, Page 2

WHAT THE OSBORNE JUDGMENT MEANS'

By. Walter -V. Osborne,

(-Whose Test Case Resulted in the

Famous "Osborne Judgment.")

Few people realised the political importance ' of the trade union levycase as it was_ being dragged wearily through the courts for, upwards of three years. It was not •'until the Lord? had confirmed the decision arrived at by the Appeal Court that' -the public generally awak. en ed to the fact thaf.it was not. merely a trade union squabble but a constitutional matter oi some importance, and one that might materially affect, the course of political life.

The members of the Socialist-Labor Party professed- to treat the matter lightly. . It could but strengthen the'.r position; the trade union members were sufficienly loyal to the Socialist alliance to pay voluntarily, and it would be easy to get a Bill through Parliament to- reverse the judgment. By sucn statements they showed how little they understood the issues m-r volved. It was only when they iouna thai their 'expectations'- on -the other points were unfulfilled that they threw off their apparent indifference and displayed both anger.and disappointment.