THE JUDICIARY: Tidelands & Petrillo

This week the U.S. Supreme Court swept up two thorny cases, then closed shop until October.

It decided (6-2) that the U.S. Government owns the oil-rich tidelands off the coast of California. Congress had once tried to decide the issue by awarding’ all tidelands to the states (TIME, Aug. 5), but President Truman, vetoed the bill, to let the Supreme Court decide.

The highest court also ruled (5-3) that a Chicago federal court had been wrong in ruling that the Lea act, a measure aimed at curbing Musicians’ Czar James Caesar Petrillo, was unconstitutional. The court ruled that it was constitutional, and that radio stations do not have to hire Petrillo’s stand-by musicians when broadcasting transcribed programs.