City of El Paso v. Russell Glenn Distributing Co.

237 S.W.2d 818, 1950 Tex. App. LEXIS 1838
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 11, 1950
Docket4754
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 237 S.W.2d 818 (City of El Paso v. Russell Glenn Distributing Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
City of El Paso v. Russell Glenn Distributing Co., 237 S.W.2d 818, 1950 Tex. App. LEXIS 1838 (Tex. Ct. App. 1950).

Opinion

McGILL, Justice.

This is an appeal from a permanent injunction, mandatory in its nature, by which the 41st Judicial District Court of El Paso County ordered- appellant Dr. L. T. Cox to issue to appellee Russell Glenn Distributing Company, Inc., a permit to distribute in the city and county of El Paso, Texas, “Grade ‘A’ pasteurized milk and milk products of the Tennessee Dairies, Inc., Dallas, Texas”, and ordered the City of El Paso to issue to appellee Russell Glenn Distributing Com: pany, Inc., a similar permit _ to distribute such pasteurized milk and milk products in the city of El.Paso, Texas. The judgment also held void two resolutions passed by the El Paso City-County Board of Health on February 3, 1950, relating to the dating of milk cartons and to an equivalent mastitis program for milk brought-into the City and County of El Paso, Texas, and perpetually enjoined appellants from, enforcing said resolutions. ■

For approximately three years prior to the filing of this suit appellee Russell Glenn Distributing Company, Inc., had been en.-gaged in the business of purchasing milk from the Tennessee Dairies in Dallas, Tex *819 as, and distributing such milk in the West Texas area. The milk which came to El Paso was produced from dairy herds in the Dallas milk shed and processed and pasteurized by the Tennessee Dairies in Dallas. It was enclosed in paper cartons and transported by appellee in a semi-trailer, which was insulated and had a mechanical refrigeration unit, either to Odessa or Pecos, where it was transferred to an insulated truck and iced down and brought to El Paso County. Sometimes the milk was stored in a vault at Pecos for four hours or more and then reloaded and brought to El Paso. Sometimes the transfer from the trucks was along the road where the trucks met; milk that was not sold en route to El Paso was stored in a vault and sometimes sold in the county the next day. Dr. L. T. Cox is director of the City-County Health Unit of El Paso and as such is charged with performance of all the duties of a City Health Officer and a County Health Officer. On June 5, 1941, the City Council of the City of El Paso passed and approved a comprehensive standard milk ordinance to regulate the sale of milk within the city limits. Much of the controversy in this case revolves around. Section 11 of this ordinance, which is as follows: “Section 11. Milk and Milk Produced .From Points Beyond the Limits of Routine Inspection. Milk and milk products from points beyond the limits of routine inspection of the City of El Paso, Texas must not be sold in the City of .El Paso, Texas, or its police jurisdiction, unless produced and/or pasteurized under- provisions equivalent to the requirements of this ordinance: Provided, That the health officer of the City of El Paso, Texas or the Director of the City-County Health Unit of El Paso, Texas shall satisfy himself that the health officer having jurisdiction over the production and processing is properly enforcing such provisions.”

It is conceded that the City of Dallas Milk Ordinance is substantially • the same as the. El Paso ordinance. Appellee began to sell Tennessee Dairies milk in El Paso County during the latter part of November, 1949 without procuring a permit to do so from Dr. Cox. On December 7, 1949, it did apply to Dr. Cox for such permit to sell such milk, both in the city and the county. No action was taken by Dr. Cox on this application and this suit was filed on January 14, 1950. Appellee as plaintiff sought a temporary mandatory injunction requiring the issuance of such permits. On hearing on February 3, 1950, a temporary injunction was denied on the ground that the ultimate relief sought should not be granted by a temporary injunction. The application for a permanent injunction was heard on March 6, 1950, with the result indicated.

Appellants attack the judgment and orders of the court by eight points of error. These' are briefly summarized: (1) Ap-pellee having violated the laws of this State relating to the distribution of milk and milk products by selling milk in El Paso County without having applied for or obtained a permit, is not entitled to a permit to sell milk in El Paso and El Paso County; (2) appellee having sold milk products in El Paso County without complying with the labeling and grading laws relating1 to milk is not entitled to such permit; (3) ap-pellee having failed to comply with the laws of this state relating to the production, handling and sale of milk and milk products at the time of filing suit and at the time of trial, is not entitled to receive and retain such permit; (4) thé undisputed evidence showing that milk offered by ap-pellee for sale came from mastitic cows, appellee is not entitled to a permit; (5) the undisputed evidence showing that ap-pellee was-handling milk- and milk products in violation of the health laws of this state, appellee is not entitled to a permit; (6) the undisputed evidence showing that appellee sold unapproved labeled cartons of milk and was selling them at the time suit was filed, and at the time of the trial it is not entitled to a permit; (7) the undisputed evidence showing that at the time of the filing of the suit and .at the time of the trial appellee was handling milk and milk products in violation of Art. 707 of the Texas Food and Drug Law, Vernon’s Ann. P.C. art. 707, it is not entitled to a permit, and (8) the undisputed evidence showing that appellee violated the food and drug laws relating to sanitation in the handling *820 of milk at the time of the trial, it is not entitled to a permit.

This case was tried before the court without a jury. The evidence introduced bn the hearing of the application for a temporary injunction was introduced on the final hearing and is incorporated in the Statement of Facts, which is voluminous, consisting of 614 type-written pages. The court filed elaborate Findings of Fact and Conclusions -of Law, which we think it necessary to set out in full, since many of appellants’ points are answered by these findings.

“Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law.

“In response to the request of defendants in the above entitled and numbered cause, I find, make and file the following as my Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law therein:

“Findings of Fact.

“1. Plaintiff is duly incorporated and is the distributor in West Texas of milk and milk products produced and processed by Tennessee Dairies, Inc., Dallas, Texas.

“2. Defendant City of El Paso is a Home rule city of- Texas and the defendant, Dr. L. T. C.ox, is the Director of the El Paso City-County Health Unit and as such Director the defendant, Dr. L. T. Cox, performs' the functions' and duties of Health Officer of the City of El Paso and of the County of El Paso as well.

“3. That on December 7, 1949, plaintiff applied for a permit to distribute Grade ‘A’ milk and milk products of the Tennessee Dairies, Inc. in the City and County of El Paso, Texas. That on February IS, 1950, plaintiff applied for a permit to ■ use and advertise labels of the Tennessee Dairies, Inc. on the milk and milk products of the Tennessee Dairies, Inc. distributed by plaintiff; that said applications considered together constitute a sufficient and proper application.

“4. That the Grade ‘A’ milk and milk -products of the Tennessee Dairies, Inc. have been, and' are, produced and pasteurized in accordance with the specifications and requirements of the State Health Officer.

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Bluebook (online)
237 S.W.2d 818, 1950 Tex. App. LEXIS 1838, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-el-paso-v-russell-glenn-distributing-co-texapp-1950.