ABSTRACT
A Tribunal of Enquiry claims that the public interest requires journalists to disclose their sources of information; the Restrictive Practices Court invalidates an agreement among certain manufacturers as contrary to the Restrictive Practices Act and therefore contrary to the public interest; the National Incomes Commission says that a proposed rise for the workers in an industry would be against the public interest. These examples could be multiplied endlessly. Each day’s newspaper brings fresh ones. In arguments about concrete issues (as opposed to general rhetoric in favour of political parties or entire societies) “the public interest” is more popular than “justice,” “fairness,” “equality,” or “freedom.”
