Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 September 1920 — FEDERAL COURT UPHOLDS LAW [ARTICLE]

FEDERAL COURT UPHOLDS LAW

Giving State ot Indiana Control Over Coal Industry. ALL PHAZES OF BUSINESS HIT Opinion Qlvea Authority Over Fuel and Food Price* Under Recently Enacted Law. The power of the state of Indiana to regulate the coal industry within its boundries was upheld in Federal court Monday at Indianapolis when Judges Francis E. Baker, Ferdinandl A. Geiger and Evans A. Evans denied the American Coal Mining Company of Bicknell an injunction to prevent the operation of the special food and fuel commission. The commia* slon was established by the special Legislature to relieve the coal shortage and reduce prloeß. The plaintiff in the case is understood td have represented the Indiana Bituminous Coal Operators’ Association. The coal company’s petition waa dismissed without prejudice that the record might show only that the state may regulate such industry under its police powers. The opinion was rendered by Judge Baker, sitting as district judge, after the two other judges had concurred. In his opinion Judge Baker indicated that the administration of the act may be such that emergencies can arise under which the court might have the right to interfere, but that such emergencies were at this time purely conjectural and hypothetical, and until a time when such an order might be issued by the commission, were not a basts for action.