US SUPREME COURT DECISIONS

1. The construction placed on the constitution and laws of a state by its highest court must be accepted by this Court in determining their consistency with the federal Constitution. P. 254 U. S. 368.

2. The right of a state to enforce a legitimate public policy includes the right to change and improve its regulations for that purpose, even to the making of changes which conflict with the arrangements and contracts made by individuals in reliance on previous regulations. P. 254 U. S. 369.

3. The State of Ohio, in carrying out its policy of workmen's compensation (see Jeffrey Manufacturing Co. v. Blagg, 235 U. S. 571), first allowed employers, in certain cases, the privilege of paying directly to their workmen or their dependents the compensation provided by law, instead of contributing to the state fund established to insure such payments; but afterwards, acting under power reserved over the subject, it took away this privilege from employers who indemnified themselves by insurance. Held that the change did not impair the constitutional rights of property or of contract of an employer who had elected to take the privilege of direct payment and had insured himself with an insurance company before the change was made. P. 254 U. S. 366.

9 Oh.St. 120 affirmed.

The case is stated in the opinion. chanrobles.com-red

Page 254 U. S. 363