McCarroll, Commr. of Rev. v. C. Collins Liquors

132 S.W.2d 19, 198 Ark. 896
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedOctober 9, 1939
Docket4-5427
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 132 S.W.2d 19 (McCarroll, Commr. of Rev. v. C. Collins Liquors) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McCarroll, Commr. of Rev. v. C. Collins Liquors, 132 S.W.2d 19, 198 Ark. 896 (Ark. 1939).

Opinion

Mbhaeey, J.

The appellee filed in the Pulaski chancery court its complaint against Z. M. McCarroll, Commissioner of Revenues for the state of Arkansas. It alleged that it was legally engaged in manufacturing, bottling and selling spirituous and vinous liquors in the city of West Memphis, Arkansas, and as such is engaged in the sale of such products within the state of Arkansas, and exports for sale its products to other states in the United States of America; that it has at all times paid all taxes, both state and federal, enjoined upon it by law; that it has spent large sums of money in advertising and building up the trade name of its products in foreign states, and in its dealings in such matters, has created good will and business reputation which is very valuable in its interstate commerce trade; that its interstate business is confined exclusively to the shipment of spirituous and vinous liquors to dealers in other states where orders are procured, and all such orders for the purchase of such liquors are accepted or rejected by appellee at its home office in the city of West Memphis, Arkansas, and all such orders which are. accepted by it are filled out of its stock so manufactured and bottled in the city of West Memphis, placed in cars or truck and forwarded in interstate commerce to the destination in such foreign states; that the General Assembly of the state of Arkansas at an Extraordinary Session of 1938, passed act No. 18; said act provides among other things that any manufacturer of spirituous or vinous liquors in this state intending to ship, sell or deliver such liquors to wholesale dealers of another state, may only do so by the payment of an inspection fee in the sum of 60 cents per case on spirituous liquors and 30 cents per case on vinous liquors; that the fee shall be evidenced by stamps purchased from the Department of State Revenues by such manufacturer, whose duty it is to place said stamps on each case in the amounts mentioned. It is alleged also that all revenues derived from the sale shall be deposited to the credit of the unappropriated fund for the purpose of providing funds for the tuberculosis sanatorium, and after deducting the costs of collection and costs of inspection, shall he distributed 10 per cent, to the sanatorium building- fund, 60 per cent, to the state welfare fund, and 30 per cent, to the fund created by act 236 of the Acts of 1937; that the commissioner of revenues is authorized to make and publish rules and regulations for the enforcement of the provisions of said act and a penalty is fixed for violation of the act and for any violation of rules and regulations so promulgated by the commissioner; that said act, insofar as it provides for the payment by the manufacturer of the alleged inspection fee, or the purchase of revenue stamps, is unconstitutional and void and in violation of appellee’s rights guaranteed to it under the Commerce Laws, § 8, art. 1 of the Constitution of the United States; that the sole purpose and effect of the law is to levy a tax upon the sale and distribution of products manufactured by appellee and held for shipment in interstate commerce for the purpose of raising revenue for the use and benefit of the state of Arkansas and its charitable institutions; it alleges that insofar as the law applies to the sale and transportation of said products in interstate commerce and the act is intended as a revenue measure, that the manner in which it conducts its business constitutes interstate commerce, and appellee is not lawfully subject to the regulations or penalties prescribed by said law; that appellant’s rulings and orders so made and promulgated under the provisions of said law constitute an unlawful burden on appellee’s business in such interstate commerce; that the fee and amount required for revenue stamps is greatly in excess of the amount necessary to pay the necessary expense for the inspection; that the appellant is unlawfully and wrongfully seeking to deprive appellee-of its lawful rights, and unlawfully and wrongfully seeking to prohibit and destroy the interstate commerce carried on by appellee; that appellant has caused to be printed stamps to be used by manufacturers and has, or is about to, promulgate rules and regulations governing shipments in interstate commerce, and will, unless enjoined, undertake to force appellee to purchase said stamps, and in the event of appellee’s failure, appellant will unlawfully and wrongfully cause penalties to be placed upon it; that the imposition of the tax and the rules and regulations about to be promulgated deprive the appellee of its property without due process of law, and contrary to the Constitution of the United States, for the reason that said act is unconstitutional. It is further alleged that if the appellant is not enjoined, by reason of the loss of trade and destruction of its credit and good will, appellee will suffer irreparable loss and damage for which it has no adequate remedy at law. The prayer is for an injunction.

The complaint was verified, and a copy of act 18, above referred to, is filed with the complaint.

A temporary restraining order ivas issued and an acceptance and waiver of service by the appellant.

It was agreed by counsel that in lieu of an injunction bond, the appellee, on-the first day of .each month, would deposit with the clerk of the court 60 cents per case for spirituous liquors and 30 cents per case on vinous liquors. It ivas further agreed that upon final hearing, if the temporary order Avas made permanent, the fund deposited should be immediately .refunded; but, if on the contrary it shall be finally determined that act No. 18, insofar as it pertains to appellee’s business conducted in interstate commerce, shall be held to be constitutional and applicable to the appellee, then such deposit shall be paid over to the commissioner.

The appellant then filed answer specifically denying each and every allegation of the complaint. Thereafter an amendment to the complaint was filed alleging that act No. 18 is in violation of art. 6, § 19, of the Constitution of Arkansas.

The court entered a decree making the temporary restraining order permanent, and' the case is here on appeal.

It is first contended by the appellee that the case should be dismissed for noncompliance Avith rule 9. However, a motion Avas filed by appellee, and on June 19, 1939, the motion was denied, and so far as the record shows, no further steps were taken by appellee with reference to said motion, and the record does not show that the appellant appeared before the court and made any statement, as alleged by appellee. The motion to dismiss will, therefore, not be reconsidered.

It is next contended that the act is not within the purview of the Governor’s proclamation. Section 19 of art. 6 of the Constitution provides for the convening of the Legislature in Extraordinary Session by the Governor, and provides that the Governor shall specify in his proclamation the purpose for which they are convened, and no other business than that set forth therein shall be transacted until the same shall have been disposed of. The purpose stated in the proclamation in this case, among other things, is to provide additional facilities for tubercular patients in this státé, and to provide funds therefor.

Act No.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
132 S.W.2d 19, 198 Ark. 896, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mccarroll-commr-of-rev-v-c-collins-liquors-ark-1939.