The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-05-26
news OF INTEREST I.
FROM BRITISH ISLE.
Workingmen in British Parlia-
ment Make 1t Decidedly
Busy for Landlords.
Unions Are Trying to Get a
Criminal Supreme Court So
Appeal May Be Taken.

The workingmen legislators in the
cidedly interesting for the old land
lord system of the British Isles. A
correspondent for Scottish newspa-
per doing duty at the London capitol
writes entertainingly Of the struggle
in parliament for a cessation of the
wrongs practisced by the landlords.
The case in question was, one in
which landlord fenced up road
way. No protest was made by the
people, because the, first agitation
would have caused an eviction notice
to be sent out. Now that labor is
getting control of the government
protests are being made. Lord JUS
tice Clark has ruled that the land
lord has vested right to the road
way. The correspondent comments
as follows:
The whole case turned on the ex-
istence Of fence which crossed the
road at a certain point, and regard
ing this barrier his Lordship said
IF people submitted to the fence be-
ing there for a great many years can
it be said that during these years
they have been asserting their right
to have that road open, or can 1t be
said that in these circumstances there
has been uninterrupted possession?
Is 1t not warning to everybody that
the proprietor was not asserting to
the right-of-way?" In other words,
if proprietor, no matter where,
throws an obstruction across a public
path and his action is unchallenged
the time comes when he may snap
his fingers at the community. An
illegally, in short, if committed long
enough becomes legality. Do you
see the disadvantage at which the
public is placed If the landlord has
been astute enough to be law unto
himself and the community has not
had the hardihood to retaliate? All
the same, much as I regret the clos
ing of these Dunkeld roadways, I
cannot but feel that this judgment
will do good in another way. 1t will
show to the country how great is the
power Of the landlord when legally
enforced, and how much need there
is for measure such as Mr.. Bryce
Access to Moors and Mountains Bill,
if the Highlands are not to be turn
ed into an exclusive playground for
the idle rich.
>. The Latest Penrhynism.
Is Lord Penrhyn also among the
Laborists? His Lordship has writ
ten letter to the North Wales In
ionists in which he confesses that
the election has taught him the les
son that Labor members have come
to stay" and he advises his political
friends to search in some constit-
uencies for Unionist or Conservative
working men who would be willing to
serve efficiently as our Parliamentary
representatives instead of going on
in the old groove and selecting can
didates higher in the social scale"
The idea certainly is not new, but
the quarter from which it comes gives
it 3.l the interest Of novelty. Lord
Penrhyn is the noble employer who
believes in carrying on his Bethesda
quarries on labor system which IS
the negation of Trade Unionism, and
in order that he may achieve his
purpose he has shown his wiling
ness to defy public opinion and the
opinion Of the House Of Commons.
From pure political curiosity his
search for Labor candidate who
will at once represent Penrhynism
and make himself acceptable to the
British working man. I fear, how
ever, that his quest will be as fruit
less as that of Diogenese on a famous
occasion.
Removing a Scandal in our Legal
System.
The Lord-Chancellor's Bill for the
creation of Court Of Criminal APP
peal is highly desirable and much
needed piece :. Of legislation. 1t is
difficult to realize, but it is neverthe-
less true, that the fundamental idea
which governed legal enactments in
earliest times still dominates our