The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-09
UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT CONFINES TODAY Will Dispose of About 400 Pending Cases During
 the Term
NO ROUTINE WORK
 FOR THE JUSTICES
Important Cases Will Come Up, While Several Justices Have Reports to Make Aside
 From Court Duties

Washington, October S.-The su preme court of the United States con- venes tomorrow at midday after re- cess of four months. It will remain in session until the last of next May and will consider as many of the 800 cases now piled upon the docket as time will permit.
 It is estimated the court will dis pose of about 400 cases during the term and that about 200 additional cases will be doclxeted before next June.
 All members of the court have ar rived in the city with the exception of Associate Justice Day. The illness of Mrs. Day has detained him at their home in Canton, Ohio. Chief Justice White was among the first to arrive while Justices Harlan, McKenna, Holmes. Lurton, Hughes vandeventer and Lamar all returned to the city in ample time for the opening.
 Unlike most sessions in the past. members of the court returned iron, their vacations to meet duties other than the routine work of their of fees.
 Chief Justice White and Associate Justices Lurton and Vandeventer are to complete their work. if possible. at an early date of revising equity rules of federal courts. The suggestion that the circuit judges appoint committees to attend the rules. which generally are regarded as having outlived their usefulness, will be worked over. The committee are ready to submit reports. Other committees are expected to send in recommendations soon. These will be considered by the committee of the whole of the court headed by the chief justice and a final draft of new rules prepared for promulgation by the tri- bunal.
 During the summer Justice Lurton spent some time in England absorb ing directly the impressions of the Eng fish jurists who recently prepared new equity rules for the courts of ther country.
 On account of the abolishment Jan@ uary 1, 1913, of all circuit courts Of the United States, leaving only the district cpurtss- -tbe court of appea Is and the supreme court, it will be necessary to revise the rules governing proce- dure in the supreme court
 It is believed the court not only will revise these rules so as to meet the abolishment of the circuit courts elim- nation but will modernize them in many ways
 Justice Hughes will have in addition " his report on charges for mail serv- ice. He is chairman of the commis- sion which has been Investigating the subject, particularly with reference to second class matter rates.
 The report of the commission Is ex- pected to be sent to Congress when 1t convenes In December.
 A long list of important cases sec ond only to the great Standard Oil and American Tobacco cases will demand the attention of the court during the first month of its session. Three cases involve alleged violation of the Sher- man antitrust laws. These are the suits against the principal anthracite coal carrying railroads and coal own ing companies and otherwise against railroad companies operating bridges over the river at St. Louis, and James Patton and other prominent business men who are charged with obtaining a corner on the cotton market.
 Railroad rates in Kentucky, West Virginia, Minnesota and Oregon will be considered
 The elevator cases will test the pow CTS of the interstate commerce com- mission. Cases testing the rights of In- dians and their entry on the so-called Stracey coal land claims and aliena- tions in Alaska will be contested hotly.