Denver & R. G. W. R. v. Industrial Commission

206 P. 1103, 60 Utah 95, 1922 Utah LEXIS 13
CourtUtah Supreme Court
DecidedApril 21, 1922
DocketNo. 3772
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 206 P. 1103 (Denver & R. G. W. R. v. Industrial Commission) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Utah Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Denver & R. G. W. R. v. Industrial Commission, 206 P. 1103, 60 Utah 95, 1922 Utah LEXIS 13 (Utah 1922).

Opinion

FRICK, J.

Tbe plaintiff made application to this court for a writ of certiorari to review certain proceedings of tbe Industrial Commission of Utah, hereinafter called Commission. Tbe proceedings which we are asked to review arose out of tbe application by one Burt, an employe of tbe plaintiff, for compensation under our Workmen’s Compensation Act (Comp. Laws 1917, §§ 3061-3165) for an injury sustained by him in the course of bis employment. Tbe Commission made an award in bis favor. Tbe plaintiff made application for a rehearing as provided by law which was denied, and this application followed.

Tbe proceedings have been certified to this court, and plaintiff’s counsel have filed elaborate briefs in support of their contentions. In addition to plaintiff’s briefs, other counsel representing other railroads have also been permitted to file briefs amici curia, while the Attorney General has filed briefs on behalf of the Commission and the applicant. In addition [97]*97to tbe briefs filed, able oral arguments have been made in support of the respective contentions of counsel.

The evidence is entirely without conflict, and hence it is only necessary to refer to the controlling facts without specially setting forth the findings of the Commission either in whole or in part. •

The undisputed evidence shows that the applicant was a young man in the employ of the plaintiff as a blacksmith’s helper; that on the 6th day of October, 1921, in the course of his employment, he received an injury to his left eye, for which injury he was awarded compensation pursuant to our Workmen’s Compensation Act; that on the day aforesaid the applicant and one McPhie, a coemploye, were working in what is called the North blacksmith shop of the plaintiff at Salt Lake City; that on said day they were ordered to prepare two eccentric cam key bolts out of steel furnished them by plaintiff; that the bolts were to be used on an engin^ which had temporarily been withdrawn from service and placed in plaintiff’s roundhouse to be repaired; that, while the applicant and McPhie were engaged in making the bolts, they used a certain tool called a “hot chisel” on which there was a wooden handle; that the handle was worn and no longer fit for use, so McPhie, who was a blacksmith apprentice and apparently the superior of the applicant, directed the latter to take the chisel and put it in condition for use by placing a new handle on it; that the applicant took the chisel, and, in attempting to remove the old handle, which was splintered, by “chopping” it, a piece or splinter of the wood from the handle flew off and entered applicant’s left eye causing serious injury; that the chisel in question was an ordinary tool in a blacksmith shop and was used in making repairs on all kinds of engines and other appliances which needed repair; that the engine for which the bolts were being repaired was withdrawn from service to be repaired as aforesaid on the morning of the accident; that the engine, preceding the accident and immediately thereafter, was used to operate a train on one of the branch lines owned and operated by plaintiff between the stations of Thistle Junction, Utah, on plaintiff’s [98]*98main line, and Marysvale, Utab, a distance of 132 miles; that tbe plaintiff operated a number of lines of railroad in addition to tbe Marysvale branch; to wit, tbe main line between Ogden, Utab, and Denver, Colo., of wbicb there are about 300 miles in Utab, a branch line between Springville, Utab, on tbe main line, and Silver City, Utab, about 43 miles, one between Provo, Utab, on .the main line, and Heber City, Utah, 26 miles, one from Roper, Utah, to Park City, Utab, 32 miles, together with seven other branch lines, all of wbicb branch lines are wholly within tbe state of Utab; that said branch lines are all connected with and are feeders of tbe main line between Denver, Colo., and Ogden, Utah; that about 65 per cent, of the business that is done on tbe said main line and branch lines consists of interstate commerce, while 35 per cent, constitutes intrastate business; that tbe volume of intrastate business on tbe Marysvale branch exceeds 35 per cent., but plaintiff’s witnesses could not^state tbe exact proportions of intrastate and interstate business done on that line; that tbe engine for which tbe bolts were being made, as before stated, was used to haul two trains on tbe Marysvale branch between Thistle Junction and Marysvale; that a mixed freight and passenger train was operated on said branch going south from Thistle Junction to Marysvale on one day and returning tbe next, excluding Sundays; that each train carried both intrastate and interstate freight and passengers, as before stated; that tbe engine was withdrawn from service on the morning of tbe 6th of October, 1921, and returned into service again on the 12th of that month; that when returned into service after being repaired it went again to the Marysvale branch the same as before it was repaired; that the applicant and McPhie did all kinds of engine repair work in the blacksmith shop, regardless of whether the engines were used exclusively on the maiq line which was operated between Denver and Ogden or on the branch lines in Utah, and in connection therewith did such other work as they were ordered to do, some of which was on instrumentalities used exclusively in interstate commerce, while some were exclusively devoted to intrastate business, while others still, like the engine in [99]*99question, were used in both interstate and intrastate commerce.

Upon the foregoing evidence the Commission found that plaintiff, at the time of the injury, was employed in intrastate and not in interstate commerce, and hence found as a conclusion of law that the Commission had jurisdiction of his application. There is some other evidence with regard to the character and extent of applicant’s injury to which we shall refer, however, when we come to consider that question.

Plaintiff’s counsel vigorously contend that the Commission exceeded its authority or jurisdiction in making the award, and that its findings and orders in that regard should be annulled and set aside. The principal question to be determined, therefore, is: Did the Commission exceed its power or jurisdiction in making the award?

In view that the evidence is without conflict, the question of whether the applicant, at the time of the injury, was engaged in intrastate or interstate commerce, and hence whether the Commission had jurisdiction, is one purely of law. Miller v. United Fuel Gas Co., 106 S. E. 49. Plaintiff’s counsel, however, insist that under the undisputed facts the applicant, at the time of the injury, was engaged in interstate commerce, and hence the Commission was without jurisdiction. Counsel’s position,, stated in their own language as found on page 4 of their original brief, is this:

“The evidence is clear and undisputed that if his employment he looked at as a single unit and as a whole, that it had to do with interstate commerce to a large extent, and that to a large extent the employment was a part of interstate commerce.”

In their reply brief they enlarge somewhat upon their first statement and make their position somewhat clearer. At page 2 of their reply brief they say:

«* * * It is further conceded that the state can hy appropriate legislation take jurisdiction of such employés at all times when the employés are not covered hy the federal Employers’ Liability Act.

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Bluebook (online)
206 P. 1103, 60 Utah 95, 1922 Utah LEXIS 13, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/denver-r-g-w-r-v-industrial-commission-utah-1922.