The Calumet news., 1912-02-17

INTEREST III trust SdocS.
The greatest interest centers in the
trust cases, as throwing further light
on the courts elaborate interpreta-
tions of the antitrust statute contain
ell I'm the voluminous decisions on the
Tobacco and Standard OIL cases.
The suit against the anthracite pool
was brought in the sHing OF 1897 and
the intervening nve years have been
spent i'm taking testimony before an
examiner and in the hearings i'm the
United States Circuit court at Phila-
delpha. from which court the case
came to the Supreme court The de-
fendants in the case include the three
Reading companies. Lehigh Valley
railroad. and coal companies, Dela-
ware, Lackawanna and Western rail-
road. Jersey Central Railroad. Erie
Railroad, New York. Susquehanna and
Western railroad and numerous inde-
pendent coal companies.
The Anthracite Pool.
In tho original suit Il was contended
that all the defendants had long been
parties to n general combination and
conspiracy which stifed competition
and obstructed trade and commerce
among the states. i'm anthracite coal
and that they monopoliZed the trade.
The court was asked to enjoin the de-
PENDANTS from continuing their alleged
combination i'm restraint OF trade 10
enioin them from continuing the con-
tract by which independent companies
sold their coal to the carrying roads
for 65 per cent of the price received
for II bv the railroads at the water
and to declare null and void the ac-
ouisition of stock of coal companies
by the large coal-carrying roads.
In the decision of the United States
Circuit court that tribunal adjudged
the Reading company and a number
OF railroads through the Temple Iron
company were In conspiracy ana IS
sued the injunction sought. The other
charges, involving practically the
whole trade in an enormous comoina-
lion. were dismissed. Both the de-
fendants and the government appeal
ed from this decision to the supreme
court Of the United states.
Cotton Pool Suit.
The cotton pool suit, the second OF
the antitrust cases in which deci-
sion Is expected soon, was brought bp
the government against james A, Pat
ton Eugene G.. Scales Frank Il,
Hayne and William p. Brown. The
Circuit court for the district of south
ern New York sustained dcmurrers
10 the more important counts. and the
limited States sued out a writ OF err
ror. The sustained demurrers had to
90 with the charge that the defendants
Possessed a controlling power, enap-
ling them to charge excess prices
n,onopolize the trade. and the charge
| that they did create a cotton corner
ON the New York stock Exchange re-
sulting I'm restraint of interstate trade
The case has acquired added interes'
from the Democratic protests agains'
the governments suit against a bull
ing combination while transit move
ments are left unmolested.
Initiative and Referendum.
The battle for the initiative and re-
ferendum. the foundation stone of the
oregon primary system. was fough'
out before the court last fall. The
case hangs technically upon claim
by the state of oregon to recover slO,-
900 I'm license fees from the Pacific
Telephone and Telegraph company
The license tax law was enacted on
vote Of the people on June T. 1916
I, The defendant company in appealini
to the Supreme court from The state
supreme court. argued that The ore
gon provision violates the Fedora