COAL VEND CASE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1491, 13 July 1912, Page 5

COAL VEND CASE.

SHIPOWNERS PAY THE FINES. By Telegraph—Press Association— Coryrleht (Rec. July ,12, 9.15 p.m.) Molbourne, July 12. In tho course of the censure debate Li the Federal House, tho Attorney-Gen-eral, Mr. W. 51. Hughes, announced that tho shipping companies had withdrawn, their action for testing Uio AntiTmst Act arising out of Iho Coal Vend case, and havo paid all tho fines and costs, totalling over XIG.OOO.

(Rec. July 13, 0.15 a.m.) Sydney, July 12. According to tho information, available here, the colliery proprietors and not tho shipping companies, as previously stated, havo settled tho Coal Vend case. The shipping companies will proceed with their appeal at tho next term of the High Court.

: AN EXPENSIVE LAW CASE. There were in. all 40 defendants in the Coal Vend case, the number comprising both colliery end shipping .companies. The penalties imposed aggregate =619,500, ami the law costs, which the defendants were ordered to pay, were estimated at over £30,000. Thus the-total hill to bo discharged ran to .£50,000 and over. The reading of the judgment in the ciiso took 10.J hours. The- hearing of the' evidence and counsels' addresses occupied 73 days, and ended on Augiist 29 last. The case has been one of the lengthiest and inost expensive, in the annals of Australian litigation. Eleven barristers wore engaged continuously, three being from States outside New South Wales, and flvo King's Counsel were briefed. The. evidence has been voluminous, and runs into about 2500 closely typed folios. The companies were charged with having formed a trust in contravention of the law. In Mr, Justice Isaac's opinion the full amount of the: penalty was not too much for the least of 'the offences proved, olid; accordingly, ho imposed a fine oil on each and every defendant proceeded against, except the defendant called the Associated Northern Collieries. lie excepted this, defendant because, though in a senso it was a separate organisation and had appeared as such, j-et in Effect all its members veto fined to the statutory limit, and it would be unfaiiyand a , virtual excess of Parliament's intentions, to fine them again indirectly through the association;