The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-10-14
SESSION Of
SUPREME COURT
NEXT TERM OF HIGHEST TRI.
eUNAL WILL BE MOST
IMPORTANT.
vacancies on Supreme Tribunal Add
20 Interest in Weighty issues Pend
ing-Governor Hughes Likely to BE
Chief Justice-LiabiIity Act and
TWo-cent-Fare Laws Coming Up.

Washington, Oct. S.-The Supreme
curt of the United States will convene
next Monday at noon for one of the
most important sessions in it's history.
In the coming eight months it will
have to pass upon cases profoundly in
volving the Industrial and business life
of the nation, and this fact adds i'm
portance to the pending changes In the
personnel of the great court occasioned
by the death of Chief Justice Fuller
and Associate Justice Brewer and the
retirement of Associate Justice Moody.
Governor Hughes, of New York, has
been confirmed in the place of Justice
Brewer and there appears excellent
reason to expect that he will be named
in place of the Chief Justice, although
Associate Justice Harlan, the senior
surviving member of the court, has
been much spoken of for promotion to
the Chief Justiceship. In any event,
including Justice Hughes, there will be
three new men on the bench during
tne coming session.
Two Vacancies Continue.
President Taft has said that he will
make no recess appointments to the
court; this means that the Chief JUS
ticeship and the place of Justice Moody
probably will remain vacant until the
regular session of Congress begins in
December.
1t also means undoubtedly that the
three great corporations cases upon
which the expectancy of the business
world is centered will not come up for
re-argument at least until after the
Christmas recess of the court. Of these
cases, two, the Standard Oil case and
the so-called Tobacco Trust case, were
set for re-argument on November IA.
The corporation-tax cases were merely
restored to the calendar for re-argu-
ment. In ordinary circumstances this
would throw them over for q year or
more. The general expectation is that
none of the three cases will be taken
up until all the vacancies in the court
have been filled, and that then the cor
poration tax cases will be advanced
and with the other two cases mention
ed will be set for dates relatively early
in 1911.
Forty Cases Assigned.
Aside from these celebrated causes,
a tremendous amount of work awaits
the court at the beginning of the ses-
sion. Upward of forty cases, many of
large import, have been assigned for
argument next Tuesday, or as soon
thereafter as possible. Ordinarily,
each justice delivers about thirty opin-
ions during year, hence if one men,
Der were to undertake to cover all of
next tuesdays docket he would not be
through with it until far into 1912.
Largely on account of there not be-
ing a full bench last term, many i'm
portant cases were set for argument
out of their turn for Tuesday. The
continuing vacancies may cause the
further postponement of several of
them. The death of Solicitor General
Bowers may also result in the post
ponement of several government
cases.
The first big case set for argument
is the dispute between West Virginia
and Virginia as to the amount OF
money the former state owes the lat
ter state by reason of the formation OF
separate governments. Charles r.
Littlefeld, special master of the court,
last spring reported that the amount
varied from about $3,000,000 to about
9 600, 900, according to the basis that
might be accepted for a settlement.
some OF the most prominent lawyers
in the country will appear before the
court to argue on exceptions to the
report which will be preparatory to
final Judgment in the case.
Immediately following the Virginia
case, the court will hear the famous
peonage cases from Florida. Only the
favorable action of the supreme court,
1t is said, can now save several men
from going to the federal penitentiary
for alleged violation of the laws
against compulsory service.
Liability Act Coming Up.
Scarcely of less interest in the labor
world viii be the cases involving the
|constitutionality of the employers Il.
ability law OF 1908. This law was
passed BY congress to take the place
Of the act nullifed by the supreme
court because It applied to intrastate
commerce as well as to interstate. The
present law has been attacked along
the same lines.
OF even greater interest Is the case
Involving the contempt proceedings
against the officials Of the American
sederation Of Labor for alleged CON
/ tempt OF the supreme court OF the
| District OF Columbia.
The Missouri 2-cent passenger Ia.e