Cleveland City v. Piskura

56 N.E.2d 683, 41 Ohio Law. Abs. 73, 1944 Ohio App. LEXIS 569
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 28, 1944
DocketNo. 19486
StatusPublished

This text of 56 N.E.2d 683 (Cleveland City v. Piskura) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cleveland City v. Piskura, 56 N.E.2d 683, 41 Ohio Law. Abs. 73, 1944 Ohio App. LEXIS 569 (Ohio Ct. App. 1944).

Opinion

OPINION

By SKEEL, J.

The Council of the City of Cleveland passed an ordinance making it a misdemeanor to sell goods that were subject to a ceiling price fixed under the authority of the United States of America, at a price in excess of such ceiling price.

Section 2207-2 of the ordinance which became effective June 8, 1943, provides:

“Whoever sells a commodity which is subject to a ceiling price fixed by or under the authority of the United States of America at a price in excess of such ceiling price so established, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred ($500.00) dollars, or imprisoned in the workhouse for not more than sixty (60) days, or both, for each offense.”

The record discloses that the defendant was the proprietor of the Meadowbrook Market located at 9505 Denison Avenue in the City of Cleveland. The defendant was in the business of selling groceries and meats at retail. One Mrs. Stevenson went to the defendant’s store on July 10th and was waited on by one of the defendant’s employees. She asked for two pounds of beef stew and upon wrapping it, the clerk said: “Seventy-eight cents.” Then Mrs. Stevenson asked what the price per pound was and he said “thirty-nine cents.” The clerk marked down the price on the package, at Mrs. Steven[75]*75son’s request, as well as the number of meat ration points the transaction required. Sixteen meat ration points were given to the defendant’s clerk, as well as seventy-eight cents in cash. The ceiling price list effective July 5th (plaintiff’s exhibit 2) discloses that the highest price for beef under paragraph 3 headed “stews and other cuts” was for brisket (boneless), fresh or cured, thirty-four cents, and for “neck boneless” thirty-three cents per pound, and the ration points for both of these grades is shown by the chart (plaintiff’s exhibit 4) effective July 4, 1943, to be eight points per pound.

The court found the defendant guilty.

It is contention of the defendant “that the City of Cleveland does not have the power to enact price control legislation. (2nd), that even though the City should be found to have the power during the present war emergency to control prices, the method adopted to accomplish such purpose by ordinance Sec. 2207-1 to 3 incl. in adopting the prices as established by Federal law as the basis of its control is unconstitutional and void.

(3) , that such attempt to regulate prices by the City of Cleveland is unconstitutional because the provisions are different from and repugnant to the provisions of the Federal Law providing for Emergency Price Control and the legal rules adopted by the Office of Price Administration under the authority of such Federal Emergency Legislation in that the Federal Law requires that before one can be found guilty of violating the provisions of the Act he must be shown to have wilfully exceeded the price ceilings, while the city ordinance includes no such provision; and

(4) , that the ordinance is unconstitutional because it attempts to include within its provisions by reference, rules and prices which are to be adopted by the Office of Price Administration after the effective date of the ordinance.

It will be helpful in deciding the legal questions here present to first determine the source of the power or authority by which the Congress enacted the Emergency Price Control legislation and also the source of the right of the City of Cleveland to pass its price control ordinance. There is no question but that the power of the Congress during time of war to stabilize prices and prevent inflation is to be found under the provisions of the Federal Constitution relating to war. Art. I, Sec. 8, paragraphs 11 and 18 provide as follows:

“11. To declare war, Grant letters of Marque and Reprisal and make rules concerning capture on land and water.”

[76]*76“18. To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States or in any Department or Office thereof.”

Certainly legislation seeking to stabilize living costs when the scarcity of many of the necessities of life are accentuated by the war, would be a very natural exercise of the power thus granted to the Congress in the prosecution of the war.

The right of a city to impose restrictions upon the channels of the trade within its boundaries, must be found in the exercise of its police power. The subjects which can be regulated must be those affected with a public interest or that so involve the public health, morals, safety or well-being as to require legislative restriction or protection. It has been frequently held, particularly during times of great economic disturbance or in time of war that price control of the necessities of life is a very necessary and proper exercise of the police power of the State.

In Holsman v Thomas etc., 112 Oh St 397, in discussing the police power, the court stated on page 404 of the opinion:

“Now, the police power relates not merely to the public health and to public physical safety, but also to public financial safety. Laws may be passed within the police power to protect the public from financial loss * * *.”

In the case of Leonard v State, 100 Oh St 456, the court had before it the question of the constitutionality of an act regulating the cold storage of foods. In part at least the purpose of the act was to prevent the hoarding of foods to force higher prices. In the opinion on page 459 the court said:

“The dimensions of the government’s police power are identical with the dimensions of the government’s duty to protect and promote the public welfare. The measure of police power must square with the measure of public necessity. * * * If there appears in the phrasing of the law and the practical operation of the law a reasonable relation to the public need, its comfort, health, safety and protection, then such act is constitutional unless some express provision of the constitution be clearly violated in the operation of the act. * * * The war has developed new conditions which we cannot ignore if we would and which we should not ignore if we could. Not [77]*77the least of these new conditions that now confront us is the unconscionable profiteering. The right of the government to regulate profiteering is centuries old. * * *”

See also, Hebben v New York, 291 U. S. 502, page 539. Parker v Brown, 317 U. S. 341 (Cal.).

The City of Cleveland, by the adoption of its charter under the provisions of the Constitution of the State, was thereby endowed with all the powers of local self-government and was therefore acting within its constitutional powers (Art. XVIII, Sec. 3, Constitution of Ohio) in enacting the provisions of §2207-1-3 inclusive, in the exercise of its police power.

But it is contended that even though the city has the constitutional power to control prices of food products in the exercise of its police power, the fact that the Federal Government, in the exercise of its war power has entered the field with a complete price control act or intended to cover the entire field, the city is thereby prevented from thereafter dealing with the same subject. With this view we are not in accord.

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Related

Nebbia v. New York
291 U.S. 502 (Supreme Court, 1934)
Parker v. Brown
317 U.S. 341 (Supreme Court, 1943)
Heirs of Ludlow v. Johnston
3 Ohio 553 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1828)
In re Guerra
110 A. 224 (Supreme Court of Vermont, 1920)

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Bluebook (online)
56 N.E.2d 683, 41 Ohio Law. Abs. 73, 1944 Ohio App. LEXIS 569, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cleveland-city-v-piskura-ohioctapp-1944.