atlantic cleaners dyers argued april decided may dale drain alvin newmyer washington appellants john asst atty justice sutherland delivered opinion suit brought appellants enjoin continuing district columbia alleged combination conspiracy restraint trade commerce cleaning dyeing otherwise renovating clothes contrary section sherman act stat title usca appellants answered setting affirmatively engaged solely performance labor rendering service cleaning dyeing renovating wearing apparel articles passed hands ultimate consumers thereof constitute trade commerce within meaning act upon motion answer stricken files ground matter pleaded valid defense appellants elected stand upon answers decree entered prayed case comes appeal provisions act february stat title usca swift california canneries upon facts stand admitted affirmatively pleaded answers sole question determined whether within meaning section sherman act appellants engaged trade commerce district columbia facts established carrying business cleaning dyeing renovating wearing apparel plants located district part cases principally wholesale pursuant contracts engagements numerous retail dyers cleaners maintain shops district receiving public clothing cleaned dyed otherwise renovated appellants angust met together district agreed raise current prices charged cleaning dyeing renovating clothes formulated agreed upon certain minimum uniform prices thereafter charge receive performance service agreed assign allot one another retail dyers cleaners thereupon held respectively exclusive customers agreement maintain prices assign allot customers carried effect section sherman act usca provide follows every contract combination form trust otherwise conspiracy restraint trade commerce among several foreign nations declared illegal every contract combination form trust otherwise conspiracy restraint trade commerce territory district columbia restraint trade commerce territory another territory territories state district columbia foreign nations district columbia state foreign nations declared illegal words describing activity declared illegal sections namely trade commerce contention behalf appellants words identical receive construction section preceding section section rests solely commerce clause constitution words commerce section broader single word used clause commerce include business carried appellants assuming deciding acts charged involved interstate transactions appellants come within provisions section scope words commerce must limited constitutional power regulate commerce follow words contained section given like limited construction words different shades meaning consequently may variously construed occur different statutes used statute even section undoubtedly natural presumption identical words used different parts act intended meaning courtauld legh exch presumption rigid readily yields whenever variation connection words used reasonably warrant conclusion employed different parts act different intent words refer several places used conditions different scope legislative power exercised one case broader exercised another meaning well may vary meet purposes law arrived consideration language purposes expressed circumstances language employed see state knowles md henry trustees ohio feder goetz james et al city newberg et county seat linn county unusual word used different meanings act rule statutory construction precludes courts giving word meaning legislature intended instance louisville gaines thus example meaning word used several times federal constitution differs according connection employed depending upon character function body instance called upon exercise smiley holm ed decided april constitution power regulate commerce conferred words commerce clause respect foreign commerce interstate commerce yet power exercised respect foreign commerce may broader exercised interstate commerce regulation foreign commerce embargo admissible reasonably thought respect legitimate unobjectionable articles embargo admissible regulation interstate commerce since primary purpose clause respect latter secure freedom commercial intercourse among see groves et al slaughter pet southern steamship company portwardens wall buttfield stranahan compare russell motor car section passed specific power regulate commerce meaning necessarily must limited scope power may words regarded synonymous hand section far relates exclusively district columbia passed power regulate interstate foreign commerce since provision section deals commerce restraint trade purely local character power exercised gives vitality provision plenary power legislate district columbia conferred article cl constitution clause congress possesses every appropriate national power addition powers legislation may exercised state dealing affairs long provisions constitution infringed capital traction company hof undoubtedly extensive power within competency congress prohibit penalize acts appellants charged question whether section done consideration history period immediately preceding accompanying passage sherman act mischief remedied well general trend debate houses sanctions conclusion congress meant deal comprehensively effectively evils resulting contracts combinations conspiracies restraint trade end exercise power possessed passing section congress exercise power conferred commerce clause passing section unlimited power except restricted provisions constitution therefore free interpret section dissociated section though separate independent act thus viewed rule statutory construction prevents giving word full meaning extended two meanings whichever best manifest legislative purpose see hartwell wall sacramento nav salz perceive reason holding congress used phrase trade section narrow sense true word often employed importing traffic buying selling exchanging commodities also true frequently generally word used broader sense pointed schooner nymph sumn fed cas construing section coasting fishery act stat usca declares licensed ship shall employed licensed shall forfeited justice story case said argument claimant insists used restrictive sense equivalent traffic goods buying selling commerce exchange clearly opinion true sense word used section first place word often indeed generally used broader sense equivalent occupation employment business whether manual mercantile wherever occupation employment business carried purpose profit gain livelihood liberal arts learned professions constantly called trade thus constantly speak art mystery trade housewright shipwright tailor blacksmith though may sometimes carried without buying selling goods like view taken pollock bank india wilson exch div see also buckelew martens err app american laundry campbell motion picture op union think word used section sherman trust act general sense attributed justice story least broad enough include acts government complains decree affirmed footnotes one earliest decisions common law diers case henry pl arose time henry weaver bound moderate consideration follow craft within town limited time expiration time however necessities sent back loom action damages brought learned judge deciding case held obligation void quite evidently considered criminal well display feeling said obligation void contrary common law plaintiff go prison paid fine king even century two later rule respect contracts restrain trade become less strict mitchell reynolds peere williams parker referring diers case approved indignation judge manner expressing