The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-02-25
THEIR DECISIONS BECOME Law
HIGHEST COURT OF COUNTRY
SETTLES MAY QUESTIONS.
Questions Affc citing Interstate Com
mercc Principally Among those
Decided by United States Supreme
Court in Judgments Handed Down
Observation-Disclosures and Publish
ers Cannot Exchange Commodities.

Washington, Feb. 2O.--Not for
years have 80 many far reaching prin-
ciples relating to Interstate CONNER
ce been approved by the Supreme
Court of the United States. as was
established In its decisions today as the
unquestioned law Of the land. De-
cisions Of number Of other difficult
questions were announced. Perhaps
the most important Of the questions Of
Interstate commerce decided was:
THAT the passenger has a right
to buy tickets with services, advertis-
ing, releases, or property, nor can the
railroad company buy services, ad-
vertising, releases or property with
transportation"
This decision was an Interpretation
by the Court Of the Hepburn law Of
1906. The case involved large num-
Der of contracts between the Chicago
Indianapolis and Louisville Railway
Company and various publishers.
In another count the Court held
that State law regulating the size
Of crews on trains within the State
Is not an obstruction to Interstate
commerce and may be passed by a
Safe for the public safety. The So
called Full Crew Act" was enacted
by the Arkansas Legislature in 1907
and provides for an engineer, a fire.
man and conductor and three brake
men on all railroads in the State Of
fifty miles In length on trains Of
more than rs cars.
The official Of the State brought
action to recover the penalties pro-
vided for in the statute. The Chi
cago, Rock Island and Pacific Rail-
way Company, in answer. attacked
the constitutionality Of the Act, prin-
cipally on the ground that 1t was an
unlawful attempt to regulate Inter-
State commerce. The Supreme Court
of Arkansas upheld the constitutions
ality OF the law.
Among other questions decided by
the Court were:
That the Supreme Court will re-
view the validity Of an order of the
Interstate commerce commissio on,
even though the two-year limitation
on the file Of the order has expired"
That a railway system may not ex-
pect regulation as an instrument Of In
ter-State commerce because one of its
constituent parts Is a wharfage COM
pany and its dominating power over
the wharfage company rests in the
fact that 1t Is a holding company.
That the Interstate commerce COM
mission does not possess the power to
reduce a rate as unjust and un-
reasonable merely because the rate
Is equitable, as in cases where rail-
roads induce shippers to enter a field
ny OileTlnS rates as low as to be re-
numerative.
The Court, furthermore, decided as
constitutional a State statute provid-
Ing that no contract Of relief, benefit
or insurance should be a bar to the
right OF railroad employee, engaged
In the operating OF q railraod, to sue
the employer for damages resulting
from injuries received in the course of
his employment.
The mayor and several councilmen \.
Of Clay Center, Kansas. We're held in
contempt, but excused from punish
ment with the payment Of costs, be-
cause they destroyed the subject mat
ter Of litigation before the Supreme
Court. after its decision was announc-
ed, but before mandate had been is
sued or time given for a motion for
rehearing.