List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 300


This is a list of cases reported in volume 300 of United States Reports, decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1937.

Justices of the Supreme Court at the time of volume 300 U.S.

The Supreme Court is established by Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of the United States, which says: "The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court...". The size of the Court is not specified; the Constitution leaves it to Congress to set the number of justices. Under the Judiciary Act of 1789 Congress originally fixed the number of justices at six. Since 1789 Congress has varied the size of the Court from six to seven, nine, ten, and back to nine justices.
When the cases in volume 300 were decided the Court comprised the following nine members:
PortraitJusticeOfficeHome StateSucceededDate confirmed by the Senate
Tenure on Supreme Court
Charles Evans HughesChief JusticeNew YorkWilliam Howard Taft


June 30, 1941
Willis Van DevanterAssociate JusticeWyomingEdward Douglass White


June 2, 1937
James Clark McReynoldsAssociate JusticeTennesseeHorace Harmon Lurton


January 31, 1941
Louis BrandeisAssociate JusticeMassachusettsJoseph Rucker Lamar


February 13, 1939
George SutherlandAssociate JusticeUtahJohn Hessin Clarke


January 17, 1938
Pierce ButlerAssociate JusticeMinnesotaWilliam R. Day


November 16, 1939
Harlan F. StoneAssociate JusticeNew YorkJoseph McKenna


July 2, 1941
Owen RobertsAssociate JusticePennsylvaniaEdward Terry Sanford


July 31, 1945
Benjamin N. CardozoAssociate JusticeNew YorkOliver Wendell Holmes Jr.


July 9, 1938

Notable case in 300 U.S.

''West Coast Hotel Company v. Parrish''

In West Coast Hotel Company v. Parrish, , the Supreme Court upheld state minimum wage legislation. The Court's decision overturned an earlier holding in Adkins v. Children's Hospital, and is generally regarded as having ended the Lochner era, a period in American legal history during which the Supreme Court tended to invalidate legislation aimed at regulating business. The decision was popularly called "The switch in time that saved nine".

Federal court system

Under the Judiciary Act of 1789 the federal court structure at the time comprised District Courts, which had general trial jurisdiction; Circuit Courts, which had mixed trial and appellate jurisdiction; and the United States Supreme Court, which had appellate jurisdiction over the federal District and Circuit courts—and for certain issues over state courts. The Supreme Court also had limited original jurisdiction. There were one or more federal District Courts and/or Circuit Courts in each state, territory, or other geographical region.
The Judiciary Act of 1891 created the United States Courts of Appeals and reassigned the jurisdiction of most routine appeals from the district and circuit courts to these appellate courts. The Act created nine new courts that were originally known as the "United States Circuit Courts of Appeals." The new courts had jurisdiction over most appeals of lower court decisions. The Supreme Court could review either legal issues that a court of appeals certified or decisions of court of appeals by writ of certiorari. On January 1, 1912, the effective date of the Judicial Code of 1911, the old Circuit Courts were abolished, with their remaining trial court jurisdiction transferred to the U.S. District Courts.

List of cases in volume 300 U.S.

Case nameCitationOpinion of the CourtVoteConcurring opinion or statementDissenting opinion or statementProcedural jurisdictionResult
Taber, Treasurer of Payne County v. Indian Territory Illuminating Oil CompanyHughes9-0nonenonecertiorari to the Oklahoma Supreme Court judgment reversed, and cause remanded
Blair v. Commissioner of Internal RevenueHughes9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit judgment reversed, and cause remanded
Honeyman v. HananHughes9-0nonenoneappeal from the New York Supreme Court judgment vacated, and cause remanded
O’Connor v. Millsper curiam9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit judgment reversed, and cause remanded
Wayne County Board of Review v. Great Lakes Steel Corporationper curiam9-0nonenoneappeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan decree affirmed
United States ex rel. Wilhelm v. ChainVanDevanter9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit judgment reversed
Elmhurst Cemetery Company of Joliet v. Commissioner of Internal RevenueMcReynolds9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit judgment reversed
United States v. GilesMcReynolds9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit judgment reversed
Kelly v. United StatesMcReynolds9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit judgment reversed
Thompson v. Consolidated Gas Utility CorporationBrandeis9-0nonenoneappeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas judgment affirmed
Ickes, Secretary of the Interior v. FoxSutherland9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia decree affirmed
Osaka Shosen Kaisha Line v. United StatesSutherland9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit decree affirmed
Hill v. United States ex rel. WeinerSutherland9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit judgment reversed
Midland Realty Company v. Kansas City Power and Light CompanyButler9-0nonenoneappeal from the Missouri Supreme Court judgment affirmed
Cummings v. Deutsche Bank und Disconto-GesellschaftButler8-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia decree reversed
Richmond Mortgage and Loan Corporation v. Wachovia Bank and Trust CompanyRoberts9-0nonenoneappeal from the North Carolina Supreme Court judgment affirmed
Wayne United Gas Company v. Owens-Illinois Glass CompanyRoberts9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit judgment reversed, and cause remanded
Isbrandtsen-Moller Company v. United StatesRoberts9-0nonenoneappeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York decree affirmed
Dupont v. United StatesRoberts9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit judgment affirmed
Great Northern Railway Company v. WashingtonRoberts5-4noneCardozo appeal from the Washington Supreme Court judgment reversed, and cause remanded
Peoples Banking Company v. SterlingCardozo9-0nonenoneappeal from the Maryland Court of Appeals decrees affirmed
Morley Construction Company v. Maryland Casualty CompanyCardozo9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit decree reversed, and cause remanded
Knox National Farm Loan Association v. PhillipsCardozo9-0nonenonecertiorari to the Ohio District Courts of Appeals decree reversed, and cause remanded
American Life Insurance Company v. StewartCardozo9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit decree reversed, and cause remanded
Helvering, Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Midland Mutual Life Insurance CompanyBrandeis8-1noneMcReynolds certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit decree reversed
Aetna Life Insurance Co. v. HaworthHughes9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit decree reversed, and cause remanded
Lawrence v. ShawHughes9-0nonenonecertiorari to the North Carolina Supreme Court judgment reversed, and cause remanded
Sumi v. YoungMcReynolds9-0Stone and Cardozo nonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit judgment affirmed
Hoffman v. RauchMcReynolds9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit decree reversed, and cause remanded
Henderson Company v. ThompsonBrandeis9-0nonenoneappeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas judgment affirmed
Founders General Corporation v. Hoey, Collector of Internal RevenueBrandeis9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit judgment affirmed ; judgment reversed
Powell v. United StatesButler7-0Cardozo noneappeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia judgment reversed
Ingels, Director of the Motor Vehicle Department v. MorfStone9-0nonenoneappeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of California judgment affirmed
Swayne and Hoyt, Ltd. v. United StatesStone8-1noneSutherland appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Columbia judgment affirmed
New York ex rel. Cohn v. GravesStone7-2noneButler appeal from the New York Supreme Court judgment affirmed
Phelps v. Board of Education of West New YorkRoberts9-0nonenoneappeal from the New Jersey Court of Errors and Appeals judgments affirmed
Holyoke Water Power Company v. American Writing Paper CompanyCardozo5-4noneVanDevanter, McReynolds, Sutherland, and Butler certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit decree affirmed
Van Beeck v. Sabine Towing CompanyCardozo9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit decree reversed, and cause remanded
Brush v. Commissioner of Internal RevenueSutherland7-2Stone and Cardozo Roberts certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit decree reversed
West Coast Hotel Company v. ParrishHughes5-4noneSutherland appeal from the Washington Supreme Court judgment affirmed
Dugas v. American Surety CompanyVanDevanter6-2noneHughes and Cardozo certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit decree affirmed
Matos v. Alonso HermanosMcReynolds9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit judgment reversed
General Baking Company v. Harr, Secretary of Banking of PennsylvaniaMcReynolds9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit decree reversed, and cause remanded
Stroehmann v. Mutual Life Insurance Company of New YorkMcReynolds9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit decree reversed
Wright v. Mountain Trust Bank of RoanokeBrandeis9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit decree reversed
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Company v. ScarlettSutherland9-0nonenonecertiorari to the California Supreme Court judgment reversed, and cause remanded
American Propeller Manufacturing Company v. United StatesSutherland9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Claims judgment reversed
Helvering, Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Tex-Penn Oil CompanyButler8-0Cardozo nonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit judgment affirmed
United States v. MadiganStone9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit decree reversed
Sonzinsky v. United StatesStone9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit decree affirmed
Virginian Railway Company v. Railway EmployeesStone9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit decree affirmed
United States v. NorrisRoberts9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit judgment reversed
Henneford v. Silas Mason CompanyCardozo7-2noneMcReynolds and Butler appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington decree reversed
Martin v. National Surety CompanyCardozo9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit decree affirmed
Brown v. O’KeefeCardozo9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit decree reversed, and cause remanded
Highland Farms Dairy, Inc. v. AgnewCardozo5-4VanDevanter, McReynolds, Sutherland, and Butler VanDevanter, McReynolds, Sutherland, and Butler appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia decree affirmed
District of Columbia v. ClawansStone7-2noneMcReynolds and Butler certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia judgment affirmed