340 



ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTTJRE. 



CASES OF INTEREST. 



In Armour & Co. v. United States (222 Fed., 233; Circular No. 83, 

 Office of the Solicitor) , the Circuit Court of Appeals for the Third 

 Circuit held that the use of the meat-inspection label on wrappers, 

 inclosing hams boiled without inspection, was the use of a label with- 

 out proper authority within the meaning of the meat-inspection act, 

 notwithstanding the hams had been previously inspected and passed, 

 and so marked, in accordance with the provisions of the statute. 



In United States v. Lewis et al. (235 U. S., 282) , the Supreme Court 

 held that the clause of the meat-inspection act prohibiting the altera- 

 tion, defacement, or destruction of marks, stamps, or otlier identifi- 

 cation devices provided for in the act or the regulations thereunder, 

 on articles subject to the act, applies to any person, firm, or corpo- 

 ration, whether engaged in the meat industry or not. 



THE TWENTY-EIGHT HOUR LAW (34 STAT., 607). 



Five hundred and eighty-two cases were reported to the Attorney 

 General. 



At the close of the fiscal year 1914, 1,779 cases were pending. 



Of the cases reported during the fiscal year 1915, 69 ; and of those 

 pending at the close of the fiscal year 1914, 1,175, in all, 1,244, were 

 terminated during 1915. 



Penalties aggregating $80,300 were recovered in 597 cases. Six 

 hundred and forty cases were dismissed and 7 were determined ad- 

 versely to the Government. 



The following is a detailed list of the number of cases prosecuted 

 and amounts of penalties assessed : 



Number of 

 cases. 



13 



2 22 



3 12 



no 



53 



Amount 



of 

 penalty. 



$250 

 300 

 400 

 500 

 700 



Total. 



83,250 



2 5,400 



3 4,000 

 <4,.500 



5/00 



Number of 

 cases. 



64 



M 



84 



597 



Amount 



of 

 penalty. 



ssoo 



850 

 900 



Total. 



6 SSOO 



7 850 



8 900 



80,300 



1 6 cases were consolidated into 2 cases and a single penalty of SlOO imposed in each. 



2 18 penalties of $300 each were imposed, 4 cases being consolidated with other cases. 



3 10 penalties of $400 each were imposed, 2 cases being consolidated with other cases. 



4 9 penalties were imposed , 1 case being consolidated with another case. 



B ,S cases were consolidated for trial and a penalty of 8700 imposed in the 3. 

 6 4 cases were consolidated for trial and a penalty of ?S00 imposed in the 4. 

 ' 4 cases were consolidated for trial and a penalty of ?S50 imposed in the 4. 

 8 4 cases were consolidated for trial and a penalty of S900 imposed in the 4. 



Eleven hundred and seventeen cases were pending at the close of 

 the year. 



DECISIONS OF THE COURTS. 



Among the cases of interest decided during the year were : 

 United States v. Oregon Short Line E. R.^Co. (218 Fed., 868) and 



United States v. Delaware, Lackawanna & Western R. R. Co. (220 



Fed., 944). 



