£100,000.000 LAW CASE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 411, 21 January 1909, Page 4

£100,000.000 LAW CASE.

' :,- : : ■■'. —. ——»- ■-*—• '- APPEAL TO PRIVY COUNCIL OVER '...-.; £3,000,000 DAMAGES. : A law case in which £3,000,000 damages' have been awarded by the Canadian Courts, and in which tho sum involved amounts to the enormous figure of £100,000,000, came before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council on December 2. .It is brought by the Dominion Coal Company/Limited, of Sydney, Cape. Breton, against the Dominion. Iron and Steel Company, Limited,; of.'the same town. .' '.. '•. , At one time the companies .were consolidated. After they had been finally separated in 1899 they entered into a remarkable contract with one another, which is the subject of the law suit between them. •,'■■•-. ; Under this contract the Coal Company was to supply coal of a certain quality to the Steel Company for ninety-nine years at ss. 4d. a ton. In December 1905, when the Steel Company was claiming 80,000 tons of coal.a:month, the Coal Company contended that,. according to tho contract, the time had not arrived at which it could be compelled to deliver so much. • Ultimately a*.law suit was started by the Steel Company, which was awarded £3;000,000 sum equal to the total Common stock of the Coal Company. Tho _Canadian Appeal Court affirmed tins decision, aiid the case has now been brought boforo the Privy Council, whioh is tho bupreine tribunal, ( . ■. -■