Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-10-13
ARGUMENTS BEGUN
IN SUPREME COURT
INVOLVE EVERYONE
Question of Court Decisions
on Railroad Rates, Meat
Inspection and 7" B o o k
Trust Among Those at
Issue.

WASHINGTON, oct. 13.-Arguments
the decisions on which will affect vir-
tually every man. woman and child in
the United States, were begun today be-
fore the United States Supreme Court.
AS an illustration, every owner of rail-
road stocks or bonds in the country, and
every person interested in State taxation
questions, and every person who pays to
ride on trains. Is interested in the case
OF the Norfolk and Western Railroad
Company against the state of West Vir-
ginia This is one of the cases set for
early argument by the Supreme Court,
and is the first OH the list.
while barking back to the question OF
cbnnscatory rates, the argument in this
case rests on the point whether any one
rate can be conhscatory, unless the en-
tire rate system of which 1t is part
is confiscatory. Assuming the contention
of the railroad attorneys that the two
cent fare law results in the company not
receiving enough revenue from its intra-
state passenger traffic to yield It a profit
ceded by the attorneys for the State. the
question is put up to the court-Is that
sufflcient to declare the rate conflscatory? =?
The State OF West Virginia holds that
II is not; that all the business of the
Norfolk and Western within the State is
profitable, and that 1t is beside the point
to pick out the passenger traffic, and
say that this particular line of business
does not pay. incidentally, the figures
of the States experts, as produced In
the lower courts, show that the revenue
from the cent tickets gives the COM
pany just about operating expenses. so
that a clear case is established, as this
would yield no return on the investment.
Tho company's experts figure that it does
not even pay them to haul the business
at the cent rate. but that 1t Is not the
question which is put up to the Supreme
Court.
This question is made of more interest
because of the recent per cent rate de-
clson of the Interstate Commerce Com
mission, which suggested to the rail-
roads, In denying the full measure of in
croases in freight rates asked for, to
raise their passenger rates as many OF
them were Improbable.
Another case set for early argument of
great interest to railroad men is that of
the Pullman Company against w. V.
Knott. as Comptroller Of the State of
Florida This case concerns the validity
of the State act taxing the gross earn
ings of all sleeping and dining cars with
in the limits of the State IL per cent.
in addition to ad valorem and license
taxes.
Argument on the so-called book trust"
case will also be begun at once. This Is
the case OF l. and u. Straus (R. II.
Macy G. Coz against the American Pub
lishers' Association. Because Macy &
Co. refused to agree to maintain a fixed
retail price for copyrighted books sold to
1t by members of the association. 1t is
charged that all It's members refused to
sell their books and publications to the
department store. causing 1t loss or
S125.O0O. The suit is under the antitrust
law, and is to recover treble damages.
A most interesting case is that of Carl
oliver, against the State of Texas. Oliver
is a Negro indicted for the murder of
Robert D.. Stanley in June. 1910. Negroes
were excluded from the Grand Jury.
The effectiveness of the meat inspection
act is thought by Government officials
TO hang upon the decision of the case of
the United States against Charles Lewis,
Lewis Howard. Fred Williams and James
McBee. These men were charged with
violation of the meat inspection law in
destroying Government seals on freight
cars containing meat and meat products.
Who should bear the expense of main
tanning an immigrant while he is under
suspicion of having some disease and as
a result Is detained In quarantine after
being allowed to leave the ship on which
he came to this country. is the point to
be argued in the case of the United States
against the Holand-American Line. The
Government Is suing for s2l67,SO for main
tenance OF a number OF immigrants so de-
tanned
Whether the code of Alabama is In
violation of the Thirteenth Amendment is
the question In the case OF the United
States against l.. A. Reynolds and G. W.
Broughton. 1t is charged that the de-
fendant held f. W. Fields in a state of
peonage TO work out debt.
Three cases in regard to the Oklahoma
guaranty OF bank deposits law have been
set for early argument before the court
A case somewhat similar to that of the
Norfolk and Western against West Vir-
ginia Is that OF the Northern Pacific Rail-
way Company against North Dakota,
which has also been set for early nrgu-
ment This case involves the constitu-
tionality of law of that State fixing coal
rates so low as to yield the carrier moth
Ing for the use of his property, though
providing enough revenue for the actual
movement OF the coal. The lower court
held that If all the intra-State business
showed a proit, no single rate could be
held to be coniscatory.
The famous Terminal Railroad Asso-
citation of ST. Louis will figure in the case
OF the United States against that Asso-
ci' tion. when the Government viii; argue
that the order OF the Supreme Court In a
previous case has not been carried out I'm
many particulars by the lower court, and