Hogue v. Kroger Co.

356 S.W.2d 267, 210 Tenn. 1, 14 McCanless 1, 1962 Tenn. LEXIS 406
CourtTennessee Supreme Court
DecidedApril 4, 1962
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 356 S.W.2d 267 (Hogue v. Kroger Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Tennessee Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hogue v. Kroger Co., 356 S.W.2d 267, 210 Tenn. 1, 14 McCanless 1, 1962 Tenn. LEXIS 406 (Tenn. 1962).

Opinion

Mr. Justice BueNett

delivered the opinion of the Court.

The Commissioner of Agriculture of the State of Tennessee sought an injunction against Hogue and Knott, a retail grocery store in Memphis, Tennessee, for selling milk at less than cost with the intent to unlawfully divert trade from their competitors in violation of Chapter 203, Public Acts of 1961, which is codified under sec. 52-331 to 52-334, inclusive, T.C.A. This Act is generally referred to as the Milk Act. The injunction was denied by the Chancellor and the Commissioner has appealed. Thus it is that our only question under the present record is whether or not the Chancellor erred in denying the injunction sought by the Commissioner.

Hogue and Knott filed an original bill against the Commissioner of Agriculture, the Attorney General of the State and various and sundry other retail stores in Memphis in which they sought a declaratory judgment as to their rights under the Milk Act. This bill is sworn [4]*4to by them. This bill insofar as here necessary to state was answered by the Commissioner of Agriculture, and, along with his answer, he filed a cross-bill in which he sought an injunction enjoining Hogue and Knott from selling milk at less than cost. None of the other grocery stores in Memphis was made party defendants to this cross-bill, and no action was sought by the Commissioner against them.

The bill of Hogue and Knott alleged that they in reducing prices were in good faith attempting to meet the prices of their competitors by reducing the dollar and cent price of milk by an amount equal to the value of trading stamps distributed by their competitors.

To this cross-bill of the Commissioner, Hogue and Knott likewise filed a sworn answer along with their affidavit showing that their reduction in the price of milk was in an amount equal to what their competitors were doing when they gave trading stamps. The affidavit showed in many instances the giving of these trading stamps would reduce the price in milk two cents on the dollar or more, depending upon the size of the sale, that is, the amount in dollars and cents considered along with the cost of the product, and that thus their reductions were exactly what the reduction in price would be if they gave trading stamps as their competitors did.

On this cross-bill, the original bill of Hogue and Knott, and the answer to the cross-bill the questions herein were determined.

The Commissioner questions the right of a retailer, and particularly Hogue and Knott, to sell milk at a price fixed by his competitors reduced by the amount [5]*5equal to the value of trading stamps distributed by the competitors. The Act, sec. 52-332, T.C.A., says that no distributor shall sell milk for less than cost to the processor and distributor. The term “cost to the retailer” is defined under sec. 52-331(1) (n) of the Act and the preceding subsection of (m) sets out any number of things that may be included in the expenses for overhead for his operation. Subsection (n) says though that without specific evidence of the cost of doing business, that for standard service this overhead cost shall be eight (8%) per cent. The statute thus provides for a specific mark-up to eight (8%) per cent over the cost to the seller and forbids sales at any lower price.

In the last paragraph of this subsection (n) the Legislature has provided that this cost of doing business includes “the fair value of any concession of any kind whatever which has the effect of reducing the actual sales price or increasing the cost of the goods delivered * * * including but not limited to the cost to the retailer of trading stamps or redeemable coupons.” Thus as we see it the clear intent of the Legislature was to include within this eight (8%) per cent for overhead the cost of trading stamps. The trading stamp user and the non-trading stamp user were put on an equal footing. When there is no evidence to the contrary, and it is shown that a retailer is giving these trading stamps he thus is in violation of the Act in cutting the price of milk below the cost to him plus eight (8%) per cent for whatever the trading stamps cost him, as hereinbefore referred to. It was to meet this overage of eight (8%) per cent that the competitors in Memphis of Hogue and Knott were spending, that is money for trading stamps, when they [6]*6attempted according to their sworn bill in good faith to cut the price of their milk to meet this competition.

Apparently the Commissioner takes the opposite view regardless of the statute, because he says and considers that trading stamps should be treated as a discount for cash rather than as a reduction in the price of the milk sold. Under this concept it has been held that a statute permitting sales below cost has not been violated by a sale at no less than the cost established under the applicable statute, even though the customer also receives such stamps, the stamps being regarded as the equivalent of a discount for cash rather than as a reduction in price of the article sold. Safeway Stores, Inc. v. Oklahoma Retail Grocers, Oklahoma Supreme Court, 322 P.2d 179, 70 A.L.R.2d 1068, affirmed by the Supreme Court of the United States, 360 U.S. 334, 79 S.Ct. 1196, 3 L.Ed.2d 1280. We think though, as did the Chancellor, that this stamp cost is an element of the cost of doing business, and the Legislature, pursuant to its specific enactment above quoted, intended that these stamps should be included in the cost of doing business and in the eight (8%) per cent mark-up. As said above, the statute allows the invoice price and many things in doing business which are fixed at an arbitrary eight (8%) per cent. This language of the statute, we think, must include the cost of these stamps, therefore when stamps are used above this eight (8%) per cent arbitrary figure, the retailers thus giving these stamps are in violation of the statute.

The Chancellor reached the conclusion that in view of the attempted enforcement by the Commissioner against Hogue and Knott and not at the same time attempting [7]*7an enforcement against these other grocers who were before him in the instant case that the cross-hill showed that there was an attempt to enforce the statute against one party while not attempting to enforce it against another and thus the enforcement sought in this way was violative of Article 1, Section 8, and Article 11, Section 8, of the Constitution of Tennessee, which in effect requires that all persons shall be treated alike under like circumstances and conditions, both in privileges conferred and in liabilities imposed. Mascari v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters, 187 Tenn. 345, 215 S.W.2d 779.

There is another very sound reason under the pleadings here why the injunction should be denied. Sec. 52-334(7), T.C.A., provides that:

“The provisions of sec. 52-332 shall not apply to advertisements or oilers to sell, or sales where:
* * * * *
“(7) the price of such items is made in good faith to meet competition, provided that such prices shall not be cut more than once, nor in any event cut below the price of competition.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
356 S.W.2d 267, 210 Tenn. 1, 14 McCanless 1, 1962 Tenn. LEXIS 406, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hogue-v-kroger-co-tenn-1962.