New-York tribune., 1911-04-04
WALL STREET IN SUSPENSE
Business Stops While All Await
Supreme Court Decisions.
| lJNCHE0NS LONG UNTASTED
But Day Passes Without Stand
ard Oil and American To-
bacco Opinions.

wall Street Iuncheons went untastcd any
,bere from an hour TO two hours beyond
N. usual time for eating them yesterday
ubue bankers. brokers and SPECTATORS big
and little. hung tensely over the tichers'
,ca-ing and yet hoping that the long
awaited decisions in the Standard on and
American Tobacco cases We're at last to
no handed down by tic United states Su-
premc Court.
After the two weeks recess OF the court
wall street felt content that the momen-
tous day had at last arrived on whic hthe
tr,;s; decisions would be forthcoming, and
bcts 10 this effect, at odds of TO !. were
freely offered on the stock Exchange ana
on the curb, but found few takers.
Clerks in the various brokerage houses
received orders not 10 20 out 10 iuncheoh
between Il and ! O'Clock. which is the
ussal hour on Monday for the Supreme
court opinions to be handed down, but tins
period was extended yesterday 10 l:i5
o'clock. when. all the members OF the court
except Chief Justice White having handed
down decisions. the interesting announce
Il
until 2:sO o'clock. at which hour the Chief
Justice would hand down an opinion.
Wan street jumped to the conclusion that
this could mean nothing less than that a
decision in at least one of the trust cases
wonid be rendered before the close of busi-
nsss At once there was a concerted rush
IN the various luncheon clubs and restau-
rants. which were soon crowded far beyond
,beir capaeity, While brokers. bankers aud
customers. between hastily snatched
mouthf1ls OF their long delayed midday
meal discussed the coming decision and its
rrobahle effect on the market If it was
adverse 10 the companies. as ii appeared to
10 the general opinion that it would be.
Long before go everybody was back At
,be titkers business I'm the mean time b.
irC almost al standstill and the foor Of
TIE Stock Exchange being almost deserted
oping 10 the eaCerness of the brokers to
cet tbe decision hot off the tape. The min
utcs DRAGGED along, the tension increasing
every second. until finally Just after the
market closed, word came that Justice
White was handing down an opinion in the
Jeoich VALLEY Railroad commodity case and
that neither Of the big trust cases would
be decided that day.
\ SIKH OF mingled relief and disappoint
rent went up from the many hundreds
who were watching the ;ickers as they
realized that AZ least another week would
have 70 70 by before they could learn
what the fate Of the Standard oil and
American Tobacco companies was TO be.
some appeared 10 he glad al the respite,
hut by far he greater majority would
have liked 70 see the cases disposed of.
whether the decisions were adverse TO the
companies or the reverse as they regard
the present uncertsinty worse FOR business
than the effect Of any possible decision
The count can hand down.
Owing 70 the fact that brokers and their
customers spent most of the session hang
irg over the tickers in anticipation Of the
trust decisions trading on the stock mar
kst. especially during the last three hNirs,
was ~ low ebb. the totsl sales being
about 1900 shares, one % the smallest fun
day. transactions Of the year