The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1911-02-23
DECISIONS OF z. s. SUPREME
COURT.


The Naval Stores Men. Now Ulsser
Prison Sentence. VIII Have Re
hearing-Buck Stove and Range
Boycott Case Thrown 0ut-Other
Important Decisions.
Washington, ID. c., Feb. 20.-Not
for years have so many far-reaching
principles relating to interstate COM
merce been approved by the Supreme
Court OF the United States as were
established In its decisions to-day as
the unquestioned law OF the land. De-
cisions on a number OF other difficult
questions were announced. Perhaps
the most important OF the questions
Of interstate commerce decided was:
That the passenger has no right to
buy tickets with services, advertising.
releases, or property with transporta-
ton. This decision was an interpre-
tation by the court OF the Hepburn
law OF 1906. The case involved a
large number OF contracts between
the Chicago, Indianapolis and Louis
vile Railroad Company and various
publishers.
In another case the court held:
That a State law regulating the
size Of crews on trains within the
State is not an obstruction to inter
state commerce, but is rather enact
ed in aid OF interstate commerce, and
may be passed by a State for the pub
lie safety.
The so-called full crew act" was
enacted by the Arkansas Legislature
in 1907, and provided for an engi-
neer, fireman, conductor and
three brakemen on all railroads in
the State of fifty miles in length on
trains Of more than twenty-five cars.
Among other questions decided by
the court were:
That railway system may not es-
cape regulation as an instrument of
interstate commerce because one of
its constituent parts is a wharfage
company and it's dominating power
over the wharfage company rests in
the fact that it is a holding company.
IEa tLte~-t te Coz re- )
CommissiC-- does not possess the pow
er to reduce rate as unjust and un-
reasonable merely because the rate
is inequitable under some circum-
stances, as in cases where railroads
induce shippers to enter field by of
fering rates as low as to be remun-
erative and later increase the rates.
The court furthermore decided as
constitutional State statute provid-
ing that no contract of relief, benefit
or insurance should be bar to the
right of a railroad employee engaged
in the operation to secure damage on
account of injuries received in course
of his employment. The mayor and
several councilmen of Clay Center,
Kan, were held in contempt, but ex-
cused from punishment with the pay
ment of costs, because they destroy
ed the subject-matter of a litigation
before the Supreme Court after its
decision was announced, but before
mandate had been issued or time CIV
en- for motion for re-hearing.
Boycott Case Dismissed.
The famous boycott case, brought
in the local courts by the Bucks
Stove and Range Company, of st.
Louis, against the American Fedora
ton of Labor, was formally dis
missed.
The officials Of the American Naval
Stores Company were granted a re-
view of their conviction of alleged
violations of the Sherman Antitrust
Law.
OF the men concerned in the courts
action, Spencer P. Shotter, chairman
of the board of directors of the COM
pany, is under sentence to serve three
months in jail and to pay a fine of
$4,000, while ]. F. Cooper Meyers.
vice-president OF the company, is un-
der sentence to serve the same length
OF time in jail and to nay fine of
$4,000. Edmund S. Nash, president,
was fined $4,000; George Meade
Boardman, treasurer, $4,000, and
Carl Moller, manager of the Jackson
vile (Florida) branch of the com
pany, $4,000.
The decision of the court to review
the conviction is step in one of the
most spectacular prosecutions ever
known under the Sherman antitrust
law. For the first time men have
come before the court to have set
aside sentences Of imprisonment for
alleged violations OF the antitrust
law OF the land.
Seven Persons Burned to Death In