The sun., 1917-05-22
BIG TRUST SUITS
TO BE REARGUED.
Supreme Court Takes Action
in Steel, Harvester and
Other Cases.

WASHINGTON, May 81. - Antitrust
suits against the United States Steel
Corporation. the International Harvester
Company. the United Shoe Ma chinery
Company. the Lehigh Valley and Read
ing railroads and affiliated coal COM
panies t'anthracite coal trust") were
ordered reargued to-day by the Supreme
Court As the court will adjourn for
the term on June IL court officials said
II would probably be a year before de.
cisions were rendered.
The announcement, made by Chief
Justice White apparently bears out re-
cent reports that opinions in the big
antitrust suits would not be handed
down at least until the country could
readtust itself to war time conditions.
The Steel Corporation suit was insti-
tuted in 1911 in New Jersey and was
dismissed by the District Court four
years later. In 1t the Government
charges the corporation with controlling
approximately one-half OF the general
iron and steel industry OF the country.
Dissolution OF the corporation, as well as
of the inner combinations. is asked. The
corporation in its brief admitted con-
trolling about 40 per cent. OF the dOmes-
can export trade. but defended itself as a
good combination.
Suit against the Harvester company
was filed in the United States District
court In Minnesota in 1912. Its dissolu-
ton was asked mainly on the ground
of its size and inherent power This
corporation also contenfed that II is a
good =. combination. but the lower court
sustained the Government and ordered
tn ha
Supreme Court first in April. 1915. and
reargued in March. 1917. because OF the
resignation of Justice Hughes.
Suit against the United Shoe Ma :
chnery Company was filed in 1911 and
the lower court dismissed the Govern
ments petition. The suit had no con-
nection with one brought in St. Louis by
the Government under the Clayton anti
trust act.
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 violating
the sherman act but also OF violating
the commodities clause. In both cases
the Government lost practically all con-
tentions in the lower courts.
The right of states 10 enact laws
affecting the general and Federal mari
time laws IA provided 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 apply
to workmen injured while employed on
New York navlgable waters,
The New York law, by to-days decl-
sion, was construed as not applicable TO
railroad worknen injured while actually
In interstate commerce. As to such the
Federal employers liability act was held
paramount and exclusive.
The Ohio workmen's compensation and
employers libail,ty laws, the Supreme
Court decided. are applicable to work
men injured on ships while in Ohio navi-
gable waters. Operation Of the Ohio
laws was held by the court limited to
vessels engaged solely in intrastate COM
merce, the court deciding that States
cannot through their own workmen's
compensation laws. interfere with the
Federal law, held to be supreme as az
fecting vessels in interstate commerce.
The court adjourned until June I.
when decisions will again be render I'd.
Final adjournment for the term will be
taken one week later.