REPORT OF THE SOLICITOR. 



405 



Of tlie 40 cases reported during the year 14 were closed, 13 by con- 

 victions and the imposition of fines, and 1 by sentence to 30 days 

 in jaih Thirty-seven cases were pending at the ch)se of the year. 



Fines were imposed as follows: 



In addition to the fines and the jail sentence, defendants were com- 

 pelled to pay substantial costs. 



BIRD-RESERVES TRESPASS LAW (35 Stat. 1104). 



One case was reported to the Department of Justice and was pend- 

 ing at the close of the year. 



THE MIGRATORY-BIRD LAW (37 Stat. 847). 



Twenty-five cases reported during a previous fiscal year were pend- 

 ing at the close of this fiscal year. The case of United States v. 

 Shauver (214 Fed. 154), involving the constitutionality of the migra- 

 tory-bird law, restored to the docket for reargument on February 

 28, 1916, was passed on motion of the Attorney General in October, 

 1910, subject to be called up for argument on agreement of counsel. 

 The case had not been called for argument before the close of the 

 fiscal year. 



Numerous letters were written in response to requests from various 

 sources for information as to the law and the regulations. 



UNITED STATES COTTON-FUTURES ACT (39 Stat. 476). 



Assistance was given the Office of Markets and Rural Organization 

 in preparing orders and notices reestablishing the standards for 

 9 grades of white cotton and; 11 grades of tinged and stained 

 cotton, and in revising the forms of complaint, stipulation, findings, 

 etc., for use in disputes referred to the Secretary under the act. 



The office participated with the Office of Markets and Eural Or- 

 ganization in the consideration of 157 disputes under the act involv- 

 ing 5,914 bales of cotton, the total costs assessed being $1,664.35. 



Various opinions relating to the statute, distributed through the 

 Office of Markets and Rural Organization, were prepared or re- 

 viewed. 



The writs of error in the cases of Hubhard et al. v. Lowe and Weld 

 et al. v. Lowe^ involving the validity of the United States cotton- 

 futures act of August 18, 1914, mentioned in the last annual report, 

 were dismissed on October 9, 1916, upon motion of the Solicitor Gen- 

 eral by reason of the reenactment of the statute. 



