The Alpha Steamship Corporation v. Cain case in 1929 revolved around a dispute over the payment of wages to a seaman who had been discharged from his duties before the end of his contract term due to an injury sustained while on duty. The plaintiff, Cain, argued that he was entitled to receive wages for the entire duration of his employment contract despite being unable to work after getting injured. On the other hand, Alpha Steamship Corporation contended that they were only obligated to pay him until he reached a port where medical treatment could be provided and not beyond this point as per maritime law provisions. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Cain stating that under Section 4529 Revised Statutes (46 USCA §596), if any sailor is discharged at any place short of their intended destination due to sickness or injury incurred during service without fraudulence on their part, they are entitled full wages for the period stated in their agreement. This decision clarified wage rights for seamen when prematurely discharged because of injuries sustained during service.

In the dissenting opinion for ALPHA STEAMSHIP CORPORATION et al. v. CAIN, it was argued that the majority's decision to hold a shipowner liable for injuries sustained by seamen due to negligence of fellow servants contradicts established maritime law principles and previous court rulings. The dissent emphasized that under general maritime law, a shipowner is not responsible for accidents caused by one servant to another unless there has been some fault or neglect on his part in selecting competent officers and crew members. They also pointed out inconsistencies between this ruling and earlier cases where similar circumstances were presented but resulted in different outcomes. Furthermore, they expressed concern about the potential implications of this decision on future cases involving personal injury claims against employers under federal workers' compensation laws.