Selkow v. Campbell

45 F.2d 971, 1930 U.S. App. LEXIS 3762
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Second Circuit
DecidedDecember 15, 1930
DocketNo. 204
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 45 F.2d 971 (Selkow v. Campbell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Selkow v. Campbell, 45 F.2d 971, 1930 U.S. App. LEXIS 3762 (2d Cir. 1930).

Opinion

MANTON, Circuit Judge.

The order appealed from denies an application for an injunction and dismisses the bill. The suit seeks to have it determined that the Secretary of the Treasury has no power under the statute (section 6, tit. 2, e. 85, Laws of 1919, 41 Stat. 305 [27 USCA § 16]), to specify a date certain when a permit to use specially denatured alcohol shall expire. In March, 192.6, the appellant obtained a permit to use 400 gallons of specially denatured alcohol each 30-day period, in the manufacture of various preparations. This permit by its terms was valid until revoked for cause.

In September, 1927, article 113 of.Regulations 3 was issued, which provided that permits of appellant’s class should expire December 31, 1928, and thereafter such permits should expire annually on December 31st of each year. In July, 1928, appellant was notified his permit would expire December 31, 1928, and he was requested to file an application for a renewal. He did so, and on December 24, 1928, a renewal permit was issued to him. It contained a provision that it was good until December 31, 1929, but it might be revoked for cause. Since then appellees have refused to honor the permits of 1926 and 1928. This suit was brought to require appellees to treat the permit of December, 1928, or the permit of March, 1926, as presently valid, and to ignore the December 31, 1929, expiration date. Below it was held that the appellees had authority to provide for the annual expiration of permits ■of this class, and that the March, 1926, permit had been surrendered in law.

Appellant contends (a) that the statute has provided a time limitation for permits of appellant’s class and that limitation is exclusive and that administrative officers cannot by regulation impose an additional time limitation; (b) as the expiration date was inserted without authority, it should be disregarded;. (e) the permit of March, 1926, has never been surrendered; and (d) that equity will afford relief by injunction. The argument proceeds that Congress has dealt with the subject of time and provided limitations and no administrative officer can add to these. Morrill v. Jones, 106 U. S. 466, 467, 1 S. Ct. 423, 27 L. Ed. 267. The time limit, referred to is section 9, title_2 of the National Prohibition Act (27 USCA § 21), which, it is said, provides that the permit remains effective until cause be shown und,er that section why it should be revoked. Section 6, title 2, provides that the Commissioner must designate the time when the acts permitted shall take place. But section 6 does not mean that he may not limit them by the calendar, although a calendar limitation is not required. Campbell.v. Galeno, 281 U. S. 599, 50 S. Ct. 412, 74 L. Ed. 1063, affirming Lion Laboratories v. Campbell, 34 F.(2d) 642 (C. C. A. 2). It provides among other things, the permit shall “give the name and address of the person to whom it is issued and shall designate and limit the acts that are permitted and the time when and [973]*973place where such acts may be performed.” And the “commissioner may prescribo the form of all permits ancl applications and the facts to be set forth therein.” Section 9, title 2 applies to denatured alcohol use permits of the kind hero considered. Qualtop Beverages v. McCampbell, 31 F. (2d) 260 (C. C. A. 2); Remick Products v. Mills, 22 F. (2d) 477 (C. C. A. 2). And a specially denatured alcohol use permit is authorized by the act, although not specifically by reason of the authority conferred upon the Commissioner to issue regulations. Driscoll v. Campbell, 33 F. (2d) 281 (C. C. A. 2); Elsinore Perfume Co. v. Campbell, 31 F. (2d) 235 (C. C. A. 2).

Congress contemplated that regulations should bo .issued providing for safeguards or requirements to insure the proper use of alcohol and industrial alcohol not specifically provided for by the National Prohibition Act. It provided that the Commissioner may require a bond (subdivision 6, § 1, title 2 [27 USCA § 4, subd. 6]) and make regulations (subdivision 7, § 1, title 2 [27 USCA § 4, subd. 7]). Section 9, title 2, provides for the revocation merely: of any permit when the permittee is not in good faith conforming to the provisions of the act or has violated the laws of any state relating to intoxicating liquors. Section 6, title 2, pt'ovidos that it is mandatory upon the Commissioner to specify expiration dates as to certain classes of permits. Section 9, title 2, is applicable to these permits containing expiration dates which may be revoked for cause. It is evident that Congress did not intend that section 9 alone prescribed the timo limit referred to in section 6 of title 2. It is well settled that regulations may not issue contrary to the provisions of statutes. International Ry. Co. v. Davidson, 257 U. S. 506, 42 S. Ct. 179, 66 L. Ed. 341; Morrill v. Jones, 106 U. S. 466, 1 S. Ct. 423, 27 L. Ed. 267; U. S. v. Grimaud, 220 U. S. 506, 31 S. Ct. 480, 55 L. Ed. 563. But that principle has no application to the present statute. The statute does not prescribe a time limitation for specially denatured alcohol permits. It does not specifically require a permit at all. It is doubtful if Congress intended that section 9, title. 2, should prescribe revocation as a time limit of a permit which Congress did not require at all.’ But, by authorized regulations to be mado in the discretion of the Commissioner, permits are required authorizing the use of specially denatured alcohol. An intended purpose by Congress is indicated, giving the Commissioner the power to prescribe the terms of these permits, and section 6, title 2 of the act does authorize the Commissioner to prescribe the form of all permits. Regulations made by the Commissioner must necessarily be reasonable as to duration and terms. Congress intended that the Commissioner should have and exercise a wise discretion. A regulation which handicaps unduly legitimate business would be contrary to the purpose of the act as expressed in section 13, title 3 (27 USCA § 83), and would be held to bo unreasonable and therefore an unlawful regulation. The regulation providing that specially denatured alcohol permit shall terminate one year from the date of issuance is reasonable, as it conforms to the provision of the National Prohibition Act with respect to time.

We think Congress intended, by requiring the Commissioner to designate a limit to the time when the acts authorized by the permit may be performed, to allow him to specify and designate the time a permit is to continue in effect unless revoked for cause. It is clear that Congress had in mind preventing violations of the law and to promptly stop them and punish the violators, and all necessary safeguards and restrictions ti> that end were created to insure the legitimate and lawful use of alcohol for industrial purposes. Donnelley v. United States, 276 U. S. 505, 48 S. Ct. 400, 72 L. Ed. 676.

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Bluebook (online)
45 F.2d 971, 1930 U.S. App. LEXIS 3762, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/selkow-v-campbell-ca2-1930.