# List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 280

This is a list of cases reported in volume 280 of United States Reports, decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1929 and 1930.

## Justices of the Supreme Court at the time of volume 280 U.S.

The Supreme Court is established by Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of the United States, which says: "The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court . . .". The size of the Court is not specified; the Constitution leaves it to Congress to set the number of justices. Under the Judiciary Act of 1789 Congress originally fixed the number of justices at six (one chief justice and five associate justices). Since 1789 Congress has varied the size of the Court from six to seven, nine, ten, and back to nine justices (always including one chief justice).
When the cases in volume 280 were decided the Court comprised the following nine members:
| Justice | Office | Home State | Succeeded | Date confirmed by the Senate (Vote) | Tenure on Supreme Court |
| William Howard Taft | Chief Justice | Connecticut | Edward Douglass White | June 30, 1921 (Acclamation) | July 11, 1921 – February 3, 1930 (Retired) |
| Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. | Associate Justice | Massachusetts | Horace Gray | December 4, 1902 (Acclamation) | December 8, 1902 – January 12, 1932 (Retired) |
| Willis Van Devanter | Associate Justice | Wyoming | Edward Douglass White (as Associate Justice) | December 15, 1910 (Acclamation) | January 3, 1911 – June 2, 1937 (Retired) |
| James Clark McReynolds | Associate Justice | Tennessee | Horace Harmon Lurton | August 29, 1914 (44–6) | October 12, 1914 – January 31, 1941 (Retired) |
| Louis Brandeis | Associate Justice | Massachusetts | Joseph Rucker Lamar | June 1, 1916 (47–22) | June 5, 1916 – February 13, 1939 (Retired) |
| George Sutherland | Associate Justice | Utah | John Hessin Clarke | September 5, 1922 (Acclamation) | October 2, 1922 – January 17, 1938 (Retired) |
| Pierce Butler | Associate Justice | Minnesota | William R. Day | December 21, 1922 (61–8) | January 2, 1923 – November 16, 1939 (Died) |
| Edward Terry Sanford | Associate Justice | Tennessee | Mahlon Pitney | January 29, 1923 (Acclamation) | February 19, 1923 – March 8, 1930 (Died) |
| Harlan F. Stone | Associate Justice | New York | Joseph McKenna | February 5, 1925 (71–6) | March 2, 1925 – July 2, 1941 (Continued as chief justice) |

## Federal court system

Under the Judiciary Act of 1789 the federal court structure at the time comprised District Courts, which had general trial jurisdiction; Circuit Courts, which had mixed trial and appellate (from the US District Courts) jurisdiction; and the United States Supreme Court, which had appellate jurisdiction over the federal District and Circuit courts—and for certain issues over state courts. The Supreme Court also had limited original jurisdiction (i.e., in which cases could be filed directly with the Supreme Court without first having been heard by a lower federal or state court). There were one or more federal District Courts and/or Circuit Courts in each state, territory, or other geographical region.
The Judiciary Act of 1891 created the United States Courts of Appeals and reassigned the jurisdiction of most routine appeals from the district and circuit courts to these appellate courts. The Act created nine new courts that were originally known as the "United States Circuit Courts of Appeals." The new courts had jurisdiction over most appeals of lower court decisions. The Supreme Court could review either legal issues that a court of appeals certified or decisions of court of appeals by writ of certiorari. On January 1, 1912, the effective date of the Judicial Code of 1911, the old Circuit Courts were abolished, with their remaining trial court jurisdiction transferred to the U.S. District Courts.

## List of cases in volume 280 U.S.

| Case name | Citation | Opinion of the Court | Vote | Concurring opinion or statement | Dissenting opinion or statement | Procedural jurisdiction | Result |
| Gonzalez v. Roman Catholic Archbishop of Manila | 280 U.S. 1 (1929) | Brandeis | 9–0 | none | none | certiorari to the Supreme Court of the Philippines (Phil.) | judgment affirmed |
| Federal Trade Commission v. Klesner | 280 U.S. 19 (1929) | Brandeis | 9–0 | none | none | certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (D.C. Cir.) | judgment affirmed |
| Sanitary Refrigerator Company v. Winters | 280 U.S. 30 (1929) | Sanford | 9–0 | none | none | certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (7th Cir.) and to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (3d Cir.) | one case affirmed; one case reversed |
| Colgate, Administrator v. United States | 280 U.S. 43 (1929) | Taft | 9–0 | none | none | appeal from the United States Court of Claims (Ct. Cl.) | appeal dismissed |
| Wheeler v. Greene, Receiver of the Bankers Joint Stock Land Bank of Milwaukee | 280 U.S. 49 (1929) | Holmes | 9–0 | none | none | certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (7th Cir.) | decree reversed |
| Interstate Commerce Commission v. United States ex rel. City of Los Angeles | 280 U.S. 52 (1929) | Taft | 9–0 | none | none | certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (D.C. Cir.) | judgment reversed |
| General Insurance Company of America v. Northern Pacific Railway Company | 280 U.S. 72 (1929) | Taft | 9–0 | none | none | certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (9th Cir.) | judgment affirmed |
| Williams v. Riley, State Controller of California | 280 U.S. 78 (1929) | McReynolds | 9–0 | Taft, VanDevanter, and Butler (joint short statement) | none | appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of California (N.D. Cal.) | decree affirmed |
| Bekins Van Lines, Inc. v. Riley, State Controller of California | 280 U.S. 80 (1929) | McReynolds | 9–0 | none | none | appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of California (N.D. Cal.) | judgment affirmed |
| Safe Deposit and Trust Company of Baltimore v. Virginia | 280 U.S. 83 (1929) | McReynolds | 8–1 | Stone (opinion; with which Brandeis concurred) | Holmes (opinion) | appeal from the Special Court of Appeals of Virginia | judgment reversed, and cause remanded |
| United States v. Erie Railroad Company | 280 U.S. 98 (1929) | Brandeis | 9–0 | none | none | appeal from the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (D.N.J.) | judgment reversed |
| Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company v. Mihas | 280 U.S. 102 (1929) | Sutherland | 9–0 | none | none | certiorari to the Illinois Appellate Court (Ill. App. Ct.) and the Illinois Supreme Court (Ill.) | judgment reversed, and cause remanded |
| Wick v. Chelan Electric Company | 280 U.S. 108 (1929) | Butler | 9–0 | none | none | appeal from the Washington Supreme Court (Wash.) | appeal dismissed |
| Herbring v. Lee, Insurance Commissioner of Oregon | 280 U.S. 111 (1929) | Sanford | 9–0 | none | none | appeal from the Oregon Supreme Court (Or.) | judgment affirmed |
| Silver v. Silver | 280 U.S. 117 (1929) | Stone | 9–0 | none | none | appeal from the Connecticut Supreme Court (Conn.) | judgment affirmed |
| Bromley v. McCaughn, Collector of Internal Revenue | 280 U.S. 124 (1929) | Stone | 6–3 | none | Sutherland (opinion; with which VanDevanter and Butler concurred) | certified questions from the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (3d Cir.) | certified questions answered |
| Ex parte Northern Pacific Railroad Company | 280 U.S. 142 (1929) | per curiam | 9–0 | none | none | petition for writ of mandamus to the United States District Court for the District of Montana (D. Mont.) | mandamus granted |
| Railroad Commission of California v. Los Angeles Railway Corporation | 280 U.S. 145 (1929) | Butler | 6–3 | McReynolds (short statement) | Brandeis (opinion; joined by Holmes); Stone (opinion) | appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of California (S.D. Cal.) | decree affirmed |
| Ex parte Hobbs, Commissioner of Insurance of Kansas | 280 U.S. 168 (1929) | Holmes | 9–0 | none | none | petition for writ of mandamus to the United States District Court for the District of Kansas (D. Kan.) | mandamus denied |
| Luckenbach Steamship Company v. United States | 280 U.S. 173 (1930) | Taft | 9–0 | none | none | certiorari to the United States Court of Claims (Ct. Cl.) | judgment reversed |
| United States v. Jackson | 280 U.S. 183 (1930) | Taft | 9–0 | none | none | certified questions from the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (9th Cir.) | certified questions answered |
| Wabash Railway Company v. Barclay | 280 U.S. 197 (1930) | Holmes | 9–0 | none | none | certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2d Cir.) | decree reversed |
| Farmers' Loan and Trust Company, Executor v. Minnesota | 280 U.S. 204 (1930) | McReynolds | 7–2 | Stone (opinion) | Holmes (opinion; with which Brandeis agreed) | appeal from the Minnesota Supreme Court (Minn.) | judgment reversed, and cause remanded |
| Corn Exchange Bank v. Coler, Commissioner of Public Welfare | 280 U.S. 218 (1930) | McReynolds | 9–0 | none | none | appeal from the New York Court of Appeals (N.Y.) | judgment affirmed |
| Kothe, Trustee v. R.C. Taylor Trust | 280 U.S. 224 (1930) | McReynolds | 9–0 | none | none | certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (1st Cir.) | decree reversed, and cause remanded |
| Reinecke, Collector of Internal Revenue v. Spalding | 280 U.S. 227 (1930) | McReynolds | 8-0[a] | none | none | certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (7th Cir.) | judgment reversed |
| United Railways and Electric Company of Baltimore v. West | 280 U.S. 234 (1930) | Sutherland | 6–3 | none | Brandeis (opinion; joined by Holmes); Stone (opinion) | appeals from the Maryland Court of Appeals (Md.) | in one case decree reversed, and cause remanded; in one case cross-appeal dismissed, and certiorari denied |
| International Shoe Company v. Federal Trade Commission | 280 U.S. 291 (1930) | Sutherland | 6–3 | none | Stone (opinion; with which Holmes and Brandeis concurred) | certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (1st Cir.) | judgment reversed |
| Wilbur, Secretary of the Interior v. United States ex rel. Krushnic | 280 U.S. 306 (1930) | Sutherland | 9–0 | none | none | certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (D.C. Cir.) | judgment affirmed |
| Johnson v. United States Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corporation | 280 U.S. 320 (1930) | Butler | 9–0 | none | none | certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2d Cir.) | judgments in three cases reversed and remanded; judgment in one case affirmed |
| Brewster v. Gage, Collector of Internal Revenue | 280 U.S. 327 (1930) | Butler | 9–0 | none | none | certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2d Cir.) | judgment affirmed |
| New Jersey Bell Telephone Company v. State Board of Taxes and Assessments of New Jersey | 280 U.S. 338 (1930) | Butler | 6-2[b] | none | Holmes (opinion; with which Brandeis agreed) | appeals from the New Jersey Court of Errors and Appeals (N.J.) | judgment reversed |
| Grant v. A.B. Leach and Company, Inc. | 280 U.S. 351 (1930) | Sanford | 9–0 | none | none | certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (6th Cir.) | judgment reversed, and cause remanded |
| Carpenter v. Shaw | 280 U.S. 363 (1930) | Stone | 9–0 | none | none | certiorari to the Oklahoma Supreme Court (Okla.) | judgment reversed, and cause remanded |
| Henry Ford and Son, Inc. v. Little Falls Fibre Company | 280 U.S. 369 (1930) | Stone | 9–0 | none | none | certiorari to the New York Supreme Court (N.Y. Sup. Ct.) | affirmed |
| Ohio ex rel. Popovici v. Agler | 280 U.S. 379 (1930) | Holmes | 9–0 | none | none | certiorari to the Ohio Supreme Court (Ohio) | judgment affirmed |
| Clarke v. Haberle Crystal Springs Brewing Company | 280 U.S. 384 (1930) | Holmes | 9–0 | McReynolds and Stone (without opinions) | none | certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2d Cir.) | judgment reversed |
| Renziehausen v. Lucas | 280 U.S. 387 (1930) | Holmes | 9–0 | McReynolds and Stone (without opinions) | none | certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (3d Cir.) | decree affirmed |
| Superior Oil Company v. Mississippi ex rel. Knox | 280 U.S. 390 (1930) | Holmes | 7–2 | none | VanDevanter and Butler (without opinions) | appeal from the Mississippi Supreme Court (Miss.) | judgment affirmed |
| United States v. Wurzbach | 280 U.S. 396 (1930) | Holmes | 9–0 | none | none | appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas (W.D. Tex.) | judgment reversed |
| Mineral Separation Corporation, Ltd. v. Magma Copper Company | 280 U.S. 400 (1930) | Holmes | 9–0 | none | none | certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (1st Cir.) | decree affirmed |
| Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company v. Bryant | 280 U.S. 404 (1930) | Holmes | 9–0 | none | none | certiorari to the Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia (Va.) | judgment affirmed |
| Davis v. Preston | 280 U.S. 406 (1930) | VanDevanter | 9–0 | none | none | certiorari to the Texas Supreme Court (Tex.) | writ of certiorari dismissed |
| Cooper v. United States | 280 U.S. 409 (1930) | McReynolds | 9–0 | none | none | certiorari to the United States Court of Claims (Ct. Cl.) | judgment affirmed |
| United States v. American Can Company | 280 U.S. 412 (1930) | McReynolds | 9–0 | none | none | certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (3d Cir.) | judgments reversed, and causes remanded |
| Tagg Brothers and Moorhead v. United States | 280 U.S. 420 (1930) | Brandeis | 9–0 | none | none | appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska (Neb.) | decree affirmed |
| Lucas v. American Code Company, Inc. | 280 U.S. 445 (1930) | Brandeis | 9–0 | none | none | certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2d Cir.) | judgment reversed |
| Florsheim Brothers Drygoods Company, Ltd. v. United States | 280 U.S. 453 (1930) | Brandeis | 9–0 | none | none | certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (2d Cir.) and the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (1st Cir.) | judgment in one case affirmed; judgment in one case reversed |
| Piedmont and Northern Railway Company v. United States | 280 U.S. 469 (1930) | Brandeis | 9–0 | none | none | appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of South Carolina (W.D.S.C.) | decree reversed, with direction to dismiss the bill for want of jurisdiction |
| United States v. Guarantee Trust Company of New York | 280 U.S. 478 (1930) | Brandeis | 9–0 | none | none | certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (8th Cir.) | decree affirmed |
| New York Central Railroad Company v. Ambrose | 280 U.S. 486 (1930) | Sutherland | 9–0 | none | none | certiorari to the Circuit Court of Hudson County (New Jersey) | judgment reversed |
| Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern Railroad v. Carroll | 280 U.S. 491 (1930) | Sutherland | 9–0 | none | none | certiorari to the Indiana Supreme Court (Ind.) | judgment reversed |
| Early v. Richardson | 280 U.S. 496 (1930) | Sutherland | 9–0 | none | none | certified question from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (4th Cir.) | certified question answered |
| White v. Sparkill Realty Corporation | 280 U.S. 500 (1930) | Sutherland | 9–0 | none | none | appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (S.D.N.Y.) | decree reversed, and cause remanded |
    [a] Butler took no part in the case
    [b] Stone took no part in the case