COAL VEND CASE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 127, 29 May 1913, Page 5

COAL VEND CASE.

PRIVY COUNCIL APPEAL. LONDON, IL-iy 28. The Privy Council is hearing the appeal of the Australian Commonwealth v. the Adelaide Steamship Company and others, familiarly called "the coal vend appeal case.' . The Council is not satisfied that the High Court wns wrong in its derision on the ground* of pure law. Argument is now proceeding as to! whether the agreement was detrimental to the public interest. During the prgument. the Lord Chancellor (Lord Haldanei said that he found nothing at pressnt detrimental in the agreement. (Received 10.20 a.m.) LONDON", May 2S. The appeal was dismissed. The appeal was from one of the greatest cases heard in Australia. It waj" heard in .June. 1910, thirty companies being concerned in the defence. Mr. Justice Isaacs heard the action, which lasted for 7.S days. It was shown that an agreement between all or many of the defendant, colliery proprietors made provision for the regulation of the production and wholesale selling price of coal produced by them. Another agreement put in was made between those colliery proprietors and the defendant shipping owners, and provided for the purchase, distribution, and sale of coal won by the colliery firms at the prices and on the terms'therein mentioned. Mr. Justice Isaacs gave judgment in favour of the appellants, and from his decision the respondents appealed to the High Court, which tribunal reversed Mr. Justice Isaacs' judgment, and ordered judgment to be entered for the respondents. The High Court decided that fh~e fair inference to be drawn from the agreements was that the parties intended to put the coal trade on a satisfactory basis, and that there was no intent, to restrain trade or romincTce to the detriment of tbe public.