
    No. 481-54.
    July 12, 1955
    
      Agricultural Insurance Company, et al.
      
    
    
      
      Plaintiffs’ petition for writ of certiorari denied by the Supreme Court December 5, 1955.
    
   Suit for general average contribution. Jurisdiction.

On defendant’s motion to dismiss plaintiffs’ petition, the motion was granted and the petition dismissed, in an opinion per curiam, as follows:

Pee ouRIam : Plaintiff and one hundred forty-four other plaintiffs sue for general average contribution from the United States for the expense of extinguishing a fire on the SS. Winslow Homer on which defendant, with others, had shipped certain goods.
Defendant defends on the ground that the district courts have exclusive jurisdiction for such a cause of action under the Suits in Admiralty Act, as amended (46 U. S. C. 741-749, 781-790).
Defendant is clearly right. Matson Navigation Co. v. United States, 284 U. S. 352; Johnson v. Fleet Corp., 280 U. S. 320; Calmar SS. Corp. v. United States, 345 U. S. 446, 455; M. & J. Tracy, Inc. v. United States, 125 C. Cls. 70, 75, cert. den., 346 U. S. 854; Field v. United States, 125 C. Cls. 559, 561 ,cert. den. 347 U. S. 922; Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Co. v. United States, 128 C. Cls. 747, cert. den., 348 U. S. 872; Lykes Bros. SS. Co. et. al. v. United States, 129 C. Cls. 455, cert. den. 348 U. S. 971; Waterman SS. Corp. v. United States, 129 C. Cls. 460, cert. den. 348 U. S. 971; States Marine Corp. v. United States, 220 F. 2d 655.
Defendant’s motion to dismiss is granted, and plaintiffs’ petition is dismissed.
It is so ordered.  