THE COAL VEND

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 833, 3 June 1910, Page 6

THE COAL VEND

COMMONWEALTH PROSECUTIONS UNION COMPANY INVOLVED.

Writs against certain coal and shipping companies,' charging them with broaches of the Australian Industries Preservation Act, were yesterday issued in Sydney (says the Sydney "Daily Tele- j graph" of May 27), by Mr. Charles Powers, Crown Solicitor for the Common-" wealth. The writs are three in number. The first is against the coal vend and shipping combine, and the companies and firms forming them, for offences against the Anti-Trust Act, in connecfion with their joint control of the interstate trade in coal between Newcastle and the States other than Tasmania and New South Wales, and iu. connection with inter-State shipping". The second writ is against the Coal Vend, and companies and firms forming it, and the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand, Limited, for offences against the Anti-Trust Act in connection the inter-Stato and foreign trade in coal, between Newcastle and New Zealand and Tasmania, and in connection \.ith snipping between New Zealand and Tasmania. The third writ is against the Coal Vend, and companies and firms forming it, for offences against the Anti-Trust Act, in connection with persons at London and elsewhere, and their control ox the inter-State and foreign trade in coal, and of the shipping of coal, from the port of Newcastle for foreign ports. The suits are brought in, the High Court of Australia, and in all three cases the Attorney-General of the Commonwealth is the plaintiff. The defendants in the first suit are:—• The Associated Northern Collieries and J. and A. Brown; Australian Agricultural Company; Scaham Colliery Limited; Abermain Colliery Company, Limited; Caledonian Coal Company, Limited; East Greta Coal-mining Company, Limited; Newcastle Coal-mining Company, Limited; Scottish Australian Mining Company, Limited; Hetton Coal Company, Limited; Dudley Coal > Company, Limited; Stockton Borehole Collieries, Limited; Heddon Greta Coal Company, Limited; William Laidley and Company, Limited; Frances Sneddon and Sneddon (the trustees/ of Andrew Sneddon, deceased); Pacific Coal Company, Limited; New Lambton Land and Coal Company, Limited,* James Ruttley, Frederick R. Croft; Wickbam and Bullock Island Coal Company, Limited; South Greta Colliery. No-liability; Central Greta Colliery, Limited; Lymington Collieries, Limited; The Associated Steamship Companies; and the Adelaide Steamship Company, Limited; Howard Smith Company, Limited; Huddart, Parker, and Company Proprietary, Limited; M'Hwraith, M'Earcharn, and Company Proprietary, Limited. The plaiutiffs'. claim is:—For pecuniary penalties for offences committed by the defendants between September 24, 1906, and May 26, 1910, against section 4 (1) (a), section 7 (1), section 7A, and Section 7B of Part 11. of the Australian Industries Preservation Act, 190G-1909, and for an injunction restraining tht de fendants from the repetition or continuance of the said offences. In the second suit the defendants are: —♦The Associated Northern Collieries and J. and A. Brown; Australian Agricultural Company; Seaham * Colliery Company, Limited* Abermain Colliery Company, Limited; Caledonian Coal Com«t pany, Ltd.; East Greta Coal-mining Company, Limited; Newcastle Coal-min-ing Company, Limited; Scottish Australian Mining Company, Limited; Hetton Coal Company,' Limited; Dudley Coal Company, Limited; Stockton Coal Company, Limited; Stockton Borehole Colleries, Limited; Heddon Greta Coal Company, Limited; William Laidley and Company, Limited; Frances Sneddon and Daniel Sneddon (the trustees of Andrew'Sneddbn, deceased); Pacific Coal Companv, Limited New Lampton Land aiid ,:i Coal f; : 'Coirtpatiyi Limited; James Kuttley; Frederick R. Croft; Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company, Limited; South Grota Colliery, No Liability; Central Greta Colliery, "Limited;. Lymington Collieries, Limited; and the Union Steamship Company of >iew Zealand, Limited.. The plaintiffs' is:-For pecuniary penalties for offences, committed by the defendants between September 24. 190fi, and May 2G, 1910. against Section 4 (1) (a), Section 7 (1), Section 7A, and Section 7B of Part 11. of the Australian Industries Preservation Act, 1906-1909, and for an injunction restraining the defendants from the repetition or continuance of the said offences. \ ' The defendants in the third suit are:— The- Associated Northern Collieries, and J. and A. Brown; Australian Agricultural Company; Seaham Colliery Company, Limited; Abermain Colliery Company, Limited; Caledonian Coal Company, Limited; East Greta Coalmining. Company, Limited; Newcastle Coalmining Company, Limited: Scottish Australian Mining Company, Limited; Hetton Coal Company, limited; Dudley Coal Company, Limited; Stockton Coal Company, Limited; Stockton Borehole Collieries, Limited; Heddon Greta Coal Company, Limited; William Laidley and Company, Limited; Frances Sneddon and Daniel Snedaon(the trustees of Andrew Sneddon, deceased); Pacific Coal Company, Limited; New Lambton Land and Coal Company, Liniited; James Ruttley;. Frederick R.Croit; Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company, Limited; South Greta Colliery, No. Liability; Central Greta Colliery, Limited; Lymington Collieries, Limited. _ The plaintiffs' claim is:-For oecumary penalties for offences committed by the defendants between September 2*. 190G, and May 2G, 1910, against Section 4 (!) (A), Section 7 (i), Section 7A, and Section 7B of Part 11. of the Australian Industries Preservation Act, 1906-1909. and for an injunction restraining the defendant, from the repetition or continuance of the returnable in from 14 to os days. None of the actions mentioned, explained the Attorney-General attempt to interfere with the Coal Vend's nght ,to fix a price for coal f.o.b. Newcastle, or the Steamship Owners' Association to fix fi«ights and tares. '