Books received

TRADE UNION LAW, by Herman Cohen of the Inner Temple, Barrister-at-law. 2nd edition, Cloth, 6s. net. (Publishers, Sweet and Maxwell, Chancery Lane, W.C.)

Mr. Cohen endeavours to make plain the state of the law regarding trade unions, and shows, incidentally, that the meaning of several sections of the new Act is open to question. To us the ambiguity of the law appears calculated ; indeed, the law has yet to be passed through which, in a technical sense, it is impossible for a coach and four to be driven.

Many of the “labour leaders” fondly imagine that if a capitalist government could but be induced to pass certain laws all would be well. They are, however, oblivious of the fact that all capitalist laws (so far as the workers are concerned) are doubly damned ; damned by ambiguity in the making, and damned by capitalist interests and control in the administration.

The ruling class are past masters in the art of bluff, and even if they, as a working-class soporific, pass any law they know that their political control enables them by judicious administration to make every such law serve capitalist interests.

The book before us (which can be obtained at greatly reduced rates through the London Trades Council) consists of 200 well printed pages and gives the text of the Trades Disputes Act, 1900, and of the various other Acts of Parliament directly affecting Trade Unions, together with explanations, comments, and the citation of cases in point. A useful book for the social student.

SOCIALISTIC LESSONS. Boggart Mill. By F. H. Rose, 20 pp., Id. Pioneer Press, Manchester.

An illustrated story upon a basis of spiritualism, wherein an old and disused mill becomes the scene of the revenge of the spirits of departed factory children upon their masters and foremen whose spirits are chased to hell. The story is interestingly written but it is not easy to see why it deserves the title of a “Socialistic Lesson.”