Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railway Co. v. Public Service Commission

186 N.E. 330, 205 Ind. 253, 1933 Ind. LEXIS 78
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedJune 27, 1933
DocketNo. 25,990.
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 186 N.E. 330 (Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railway Co. v. Public Service Commission) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railway Co. v. Public Service Commission, 186 N.E. 330, 205 Ind. 253, 1933 Ind. LEXIS 78 (Ind. 1933).

Opinion

Roll, J.

This action was brought by appellee, Public Service Commission of Indiana, to enjoin appellant, Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railway 'Company, a railroad corporation, operating a line of railroad in Vanderburg County and other counties in this state and in other states, from charging any rate or charge in .excess of $2.70 per car, the alleged lawful rate, for the transpor *255 tation of coal from the mine of the Sunnyside Coal and Coke Company, to the point of interchange of appellant with the tracks of the Illinois Central Railroad Company at Devon Street, all within the city limits of Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana.

The issues were formed by a complaint in one paragraph, an answer in two paragraphs, the first paragraph being a general denial, and the second presenting an affirmative defense, and a reply in general denial to the second paragraph of answer.

The issue presented by the pleading was whether or not the movement of coal set out in appellee’s complaint and as applied to the Illinois Central Railroad Company fuel coal, transported by it -beyond the state of Indiana after delivery at-the Devon Street intersection, was an interstate or intrastate movement, and whether the intrastate rate fixed by appellee or the interstate rate as published by appellant and duly filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission applies.

On submission of the issue to the trial court, there was a finding in favor of the plaintiff, and a final judgment entered. The finding and judgment of the trial court is as follows:

“And the court -having heretofore heard the evidence in said cause, and also the argument of counsel and being duly advised in the premises finds for the plaintiff, and finds that Harwood yards in Evansville, Indiana, among other -purposes is the distributing point of the Illinois Central Railroad Company for company fuel coal for its Indiana Division and Indianapolis district and is being used now and has been so used for many years continuously; that said Harwood yards are the property of the Illinois Central Railroad Company; that the Sunnyside Coal & Coke Company owns and operates a coal mine on the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railway Company line of railroad in the city of Evansville, Indiana; that the point of interchange between the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railway *256 Company and the Illinois Central Railway Company in the city of Evansville, Indiana, is the interchange track at Devon Street; that at the present time and continuously for many years past the Sunnyside Coal and Coke Company contracted with the Illinois Central Railroad Company to sell and deliver coal to the Illinois Central Railroad Company for fuel purposes for its said Indiana Division and said Indianapolis District upon the Interchange track of the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railway Company and the Illinois Central Railroad Company at Devon Street in Evansville, Indiana, at and for a certain price; that the plaintiff determined and fixed as a reasonable rate of transportation for coal in carload lots from the mines of the Sunny-side Coal and Coke Company over the railroad line of the Chicago and Eastern Railway Company in Evansville, Indiana, to its point of interchange on Devon Street in Evansville, Indiana, with the Illinois Central Railroad Company at $2.70 per car for all intrastate shipments; that the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railway Company published and has on file with the plaintiff as its lawful rate for the transportation of coal from the mines of the Sunny-side Coal & Coke Company on the railroad of the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railway Company in Evansville, Indiana, to its point of interchange on Devon Street in Evansville, Indiana, with the Illinois Central Railroad Company at $2.70 per car for all intrastate shipments; that the defendant Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railway Company published and has on file with the Interstate Commerce Commission as its lawful rate for the transportation of coal from the mines of the Sunnyside Coal & Coke Company on the railroad of the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railway Company in Evansville, Indiana, to its point of interchange on Devon Street in Evansville, Indiana, with the Illinois Central Railroad Company.at thirteen cents (13c) per ton, minimum Six and 30/100 Dollars ($6.30) per car for coal in carload lots for all interstate shipments; that the transportation of fuel coal by the defendant over and upon its railroad from the mines of Sunnyside Coal and Coke Company in Evansville, Indiana, to the point of interchange with the Illinois Central Railroad Company at Devon Street in Evansville, Indiana, for fuel coal *257 sold by the Sunnyside Coal and Coke Company to the Illinois Central Railroad Company for delivery to the Illinois Central Railroad Company at Devon Street in Evansville, Indiana, is a completed shipment and is intrastate commerce; that the Illinois Central Railroad Company knows in advance of the delivery of fuel to it at Devon Street in Evansville, Indiana, by the Sunnyside Coal and Coke Company that said fuel coal will be reshipped by the Illinois Central Railroad Company to its coal fuel stations within and without the state of Indiana; that the defendant has collected and threatens to continue to collect its said interstate rate of thirteen cents (13c) per ton, minimum Six and 30/100 Dollars ($6.30) per car for such completed delivery, transportation and shipment when any of said company fuel coal after such shipment is reshipped by the Illinois Central Railroad Company for company fuel purposes beyond the state line of the state of Indiana; and finds that the defendant company, its officers, servants, agents and employees, should be perpetually enjoined and restrained from charging or attempting to charge and from collecting or attempting to collect a rate or charge other, greater than or in excess of $2.70 per car for the transportation of all coal in carload lots shipped or hereafter to be shipped from the mine of the Sunnyside Coal and Coke Company, and which mine is located on the tracks of the defendant company in the city of Evansville, Indiana, and which coal has been or hereafter is to be sold to and used by the Illinois Central Railroad Company as company fuel coal, and which coal has been or hereafter is to be transported over the line of the defendant company from the mine of the Sunnyside Coal and Coke-Company in said city of Evansville, Indiana, for delivery to the Illinois Central Railroad Company at the point of connection between the lines of the defendant company and the Illinois Central Railroad Company at Devon Street in said city of Evansville, Indiana ; and that the plaintiff should recover of and from the defendant its costs herein, to which findings and each of them the defendant at the time separately objects and excepts.
“It is, therefore, considered, ordered, adjudged and decreed by the court that the defendant, Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railway Company, its *258

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Bluebook (online)
186 N.E. 330, 205 Ind. 253, 1933 Ind. LEXIS 78, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chicago-eastern-illinois-railway-co-v-public-service-commission-ind-1933.