SPECTATOR SUMMERY.

Grey River Argus, 25 November 1910, Page 1

SPECTATOR SUMMERY.

(Week Ending- Saturday, Ist October,

1910.)

THE LABOR MEMBERS' PLEDGE

It was announced on Friday that, at a meeting of the Labour party held on Thursday, it had been decided that tfyjy should recommend the annual conference, which meets at Leicester next February, to eliminate from the constitution the pledge which has hitherto been exacted from the Labour members. Mr Ramsay Mac'donaH, by way of explanation, states that the abolition of the pledge will tend to remove certain alleged objections which a great many people are making as reasons why the Osborne decision should not be upset. They had come to the conclusion, however, quite apart fronithe Osborne decision. Labour members in the future "will be in a position similar to members of the Liberal and Conservative parties." We cannot now discuss the exact significance' of this announcement, but we note that it is alleged that freeing the Labour members from any pledge will make it easier for the Labour party to induce the Government to admit the reversal of the Osborne judgment, and is indeed part of a bargain with th c Ministry. The Daily Graphic of Friday, discussing the new move, makes a very shrewd comment :

"I f the proposal made yesterday by th c executive is endorsed by the gener ral body, as, of course, it will 'be, members of Parliament who -*)we their salaries to the Labour party will no longer be -required to sign a pledge. They will be quite free to ..vote according as their consciences should happen to guide them in an opposite direction to that taken *by the party. That is all that is meant by the new pronouncement, and anybody who is inclined to attach any other meaningto dt will do well to reflect that the man who have now made this nominal change to please their Liberal allies are the 'same men who, less than twelve months ago, were devotmg their energies to ousting Mr Burt and Mr Fenwicfc from Parliament because tluv refused to ..sign the Labour pledge, and who, on the same ground, succeeded in getting- rid of Mr Rich-

lard B.ell. It will be amusing- to see ;tio.\v many will allow them;«elves to be deceived by this new j'litove. of the very astute leaders of the Labour party."