Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-05-22
BIG ANTITRUST
SUITS DELAYED
IN HIGH COURT
Cases Praying Dissolution Of
Steel Corporation and Other
Big Concerns Are to Be
Rearqued.

Washington, May 2l.-All the big
antitrust suits before the supreme
court were today ordered reargued
next term.
This announcement by the court
today bears out the prediction that
there would be no decisions in the
great antitrust suits. at least until
the country had readjusted itself to
war conditions.
The suit against the United States
Steel corporation. international Har-
vester company, Reading and Lehigh
railways and the United Shoe Ma
chincry company are among the cases
which 60 over. Court reccsscs for
the summer June II.
Pray for Dissolution.
The Steel corporation suit was IN.
stituted by the district court four
years later. In it the government
charges the corporation with control
ling approximately one-half the gen.
cral iron and steel industry OF the
country. Dissolution of the corpora
ton, as well as OF the inner combina-
tons, is asked. The corporation in its
brief admitted controlling about 40
per cent OF the domestic and about
90 per cent OF the American export
trade, but defined itself as a good
combination.
The suit against the Harvester COM
pany was filed in the United States
district court in Minnesota in 1912. Its
dissolution was asked mainly on the
ground OF its size and inherent power.
This corporation also contended that
it Is good" combination, but the
lower court sustained the government
and ordered dissolution.
The suit against the United Shoe
Machinery company was filed in 1911
and the lower court dismissed the gov
crnment's petition.
Charge Two Violations.
The two cases against the Lehigh
Valley railroad and the Reading rail-
road charge them with monopolies in
anthracite coal along their lines. Both
roads are accused not only OF violat-
ing the Sherman act, but also of vio-
lating the commodities clause. In both
cases the government lost practically
all contentious in the lower courts.
Arkansas Rail Rates Void.
Federal DEGREES holding the Arkan.
sas maximum freight and 2-cent pas.
senger rates confscatory as applied to
the St. Louis & San Francisco rail
road were sustained by the supreme
court today.
The court also sustained the de-
cision of the lower court, which de-
clared valid the formula adopted, BY
western and southwestern railroads
as basis for determining whether
rates are conhscatory after the SUI
preme court had upheld the rates in
1918.
The right Of states to enact laws af-
fecting the general and federal mari
time laws as passed by congress was
denied by the supreme court in an
opinion holding that the New York
workmen's compensation law, recently
declared constitutional, does not ap-
ply to workmen injured while en-
ployed on New York navigable wa
tiers.
Kill Compensation Law.
The court also declared unconstitu-
tional the New Jersey workmen's
compensation law OF 1911, which was
iion-compulsory statute.
The New York law by today's deci-
sion was construed as not applicable
to railroad workmen injured while ac-
tually in interstate commerce. As to
such the federal employers liability
act was held paramount and exclusive.
The New Jersey workmen's COM
pensation law of 1911, a non-com-
pulsory statute, was decided by the
court to be unconstitutional and in
operative to railroad employees injured
while engaged In interstate commerce.
Justices Brandeis and Clarke dis
scented.
The Ohio workmcn's compensation
and employers liability laws, the court
decided, are applicable to workmen in
jured on ships while in Ohio navigable
waters, while engaged in intrastate
commerce.
The court adjourned until June 4,
when decisions will be again rendered
and final adjournment for the term
taken one week later.
Rich OIL Man Dead.
St. Louis, NAV 2f--Willtam c. Mcbride