| Show COURT OF CLAIMS MANY IMPORTANT CASES ON TIE TRIAL DOCKET The Free Alcohol Clause of the New Tariff Act of First Consideration Meaning Turns on the Use of Alcohol Al-cohol in the Arts WASHINGTON Oct 27The United States court of claims when it reassembles reassem-bles tomorrow will find on its trial docket dock-et an exceptionally large number of important im-portant cases Of the 10000 cases now Pending before the court that of Sharp Dohme manufacturing druggists of Baltimore will probably attract the larg est share of public interest This case is brought to test the validity of the free alcohol clause of the new tariff in so far as it applies to alcohol used in manu factures Another test case is that of Robert Dunlap of New York the lat I manufacturer Both of these cases are substantially ready for trial so far as I the taking of evidence is concerned The Dunlap case is materially different from that of Sharp Dohme inasmuch as there appears to be some question as to whether alcohol used in manufacturing hats comes within the meaning of the act which declares any manufacturer flniin finding it necessary to use alcohol in the arts or in any medicinal or any other like compound is entitled to a repayment of the tax already paid on such alcohol I will be the contention of the claimant no doubt that arts In the sense in tended to be conveyed in the act include all manufactures in which alcohol is alohol used This view of the case will be Comlmtteil IJ y the Government and the question will be raised whether congress by its failure to make an ap propriation for carrying this section of 1 secton the act into effect did not Postpone the time at which it i was to go into opera ton XL has been estimated that there are CO 000 manufacturers in this country including small druggists who if the courts sustain the claimants will be en titled to rebates aggregating 510000C nODC Of this amount suits already have been fled amounting to about 2500000 The following are some of the uses to which alcohol are put and for which ap plication for rebates have already been filed Anilene corres bronze powders bay rum bitters candy cement biters cemeJt cologne spirits spir-its cherry tonic catarrh cure senti oils sent ois ethers flavoring extracts fluid extracts medicinal preparations medicine for skin diseases lavender salts liniment toilet waters licorice metallic ammunition paints photographic plates perfumery soaps varnish and witch hazel Case or Letter Cnrricra Another important case to be tried wil be that involving the question whether the actof 1SSS which gives letter carriers compensation in excess of eight hours a day intend d that the eight hours should be consecutive The postoffice department depart-ment has held up to this time that there may be intervals between the working hours The letter carriers however con tendthat congress did not com template that they might be laid off half an hour more or less three or four times a day while waiting for the arrival of mails Tho case which will test the law comes from New York About 400 letter carriers car-riers now have claims pending under the interpretation placed upon the law by the postmaster general Another interesting inter-esting class of cases will be those for damages arising from the encroachments of the Mississippi river by reason of the government improvements which contracted con-tracted the channel causing overflows Another case is that of the Western Union Telegraph company against the government for tolls on government under un-der rates fixed by Postmaster General Wanamaker These rates it is claimed were far below the cost of the service The present rate is about onethird higher high-er than that fixed by Mr Wanamaker About 3200000 is involved in this suit |
