The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-04-02
Interstate Commerce Com
mission Wins Notable Vic
tory in First Case Decided
by Highest Court.
MISSOURI LAW Is
HELD TO BE VALID
Custer of Oil Monopolies and
Fines Imposed Approved;
Government Has Right to
Sue to Recover Lands.

TAT ASHINGTON, April IA vic.
NM tory was won today by the
" interstate commerce commits
sion when the supreme court
OF the United States decided the com
mittec had the power to compel water
lines to report to it regarding intra-
state as well as interstate business.
1t was the first case from the com
merce court to be considered by the
supreme court and the commerce court
was reversed
While the cases before the court con
eerned Immediately water lines, the
government declared in arguing the
cases that the defeat of the commits
sion in this case would mean that rail
roads also need not report regarding
intrastate business. and the commits
sion g whole system OF gathering re-
ports relative to commerce would be
worthless.
The orders in question required re-
ports regarding operating expenses and
operating revenues Of water lines and
affected principally lines on the great
lakes. The commerce court held that
the commission bad power TO require
reports only regarding traffic carried
under Joint arrangements with railroad
carriers but not as TO purely intrastate
and port to port business.
Justice Day said mistake had been
made by the commerce court in con
fusing knowledge of intrastate com
merce with regulation of it. He said
IT was within the power of the com
mission 10 require Showdown of
the whole business in intrastate as
well as interstate commerce.
Justices Lurton and Lamar dissented,
Missouri Law Valid.
WASHINGTON, April 1.-The anti.
trust laws of Missouri were upheld to-
day by the supreme court of the Unit
ed States. The court approved Of the
states action in ousting the Standard
Oil company of Indiana and the Re-
public Oil company of New York from
the state and filming each $4,000 un-
der these laws.
In proceedings began in Missouri, the
Standard Oil company OF Indiana, the
Republic Oil company, New York cor.
poration, and the Waters.Pierce Oil
company, Missouri corporation, were
charged with having combined to con-
troll the prices and to prevent competi-
ton, and the Missouri supreme court
found them guilty.
The Waters. Pierce Oil company was
a Missouri corporation and the court
set a day when it's charter would be
forfeited IL the company did not pay
a $4,000 fine.
The fine was paid. Only the Stand.
ard and the Republic, which were Gust
ed, appealed to the supreme court
The claim was made that the corpor-
ations could not be ousted in the same
proceedings. Furthermore il was urged
that ousting corporations was q greater
punishment than was inflicted on indi-
vidual violators by the law.
The International Harvester com.
psny recently appealed TO the court
from a Missouri custer decree. the APP
peal being based on the ground that
these laws were unconstitutional.
Judge Lamar, who announced the
unanimous opinion Of the court, held
that no right Of the corporations had
been denied under the law in the trial
Has Right to Sue,
WASHINGTON. April THE righ, of
the federal government 10 bring actions
10 have set aside some 5000 conveyances
~ fun blood Cherokee Indians OF their
allotted lands was upheld today BY the
supreme court OF the United States.
The case came from tho Oklahoma
Indians objected 10 the suits on the
ground that tho government had mo
interest In the land and the Indians
should have been parties TO the suits.
opinion. said the governments rights 10
enforce the restrictions on the land was
the complement OF It's right 70 enforce
them as guardians Of the Indians. He