State ex rel. Railroad Commissioners v. Atlantic Coast Line Railroad

64 Fla. 469
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedJune 15, 1912
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 64 Fla. 469 (State ex rel. Railroad Commissioners v. Atlantic Coast Line Railroad) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State ex rel. Railroad Commissioners v. Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, 64 Fla. 469 (Fla. 1912).

Opinion

Whitfield, C. J.

This mandamus proceeding was brought in this court to enforce the observance by the respondent railroad company of certain regulations of the railroad commissioners contained in Rule 15 A. of the following rules:

Rule 15. “A charge of not more than $2.00, per car, without regard to its weight or contents, will be allowed for transporting, switching or transferring a loaded car from any point on any railroad to any connecting railroad, or to any warehouse, side-track or other point of delivery that may be designated by the consignee, within a distance of three miles from the point of starting, and no railroad company shall decline or refuse to transport, switch or transfer any car as above, or, to receive it from any connecting railroad for such purposes. "When in the transfer, switching or transportation of a car between such points, it is necessary to pass over the track or tracks of any intermediate railroad or railroads, said maximum charge of two dollars shall be equitably divided between the railroads at interest. When a charge is made for the transfer, switching or transportation of a loaded car between such points, no additional charge shall be made for the accompanying movement of the empty car in the opposite direction. Provided, That this rule shall not interfere with any prevailing legal rate for the transportation of freight between different stations; and shall not apply to any freight that does not pay a direct freight transportation charge in connection with a switching charge.”
“Rule 15-A. The charge for switching cars of rough lumber consigned to and arriving at the City of Jackson[471]*471ville from points in this State to any planing mill in the Jacksonville yards, and thence, after lumber is dressed to any point in the same yard, shall not be more than $2.00, per car; Provided, that when the said switching movement is over the tracks of more than one railroad, a charge of not more than $3.00, may be made. This rule shall not be interpreted as rescinding or modifying Rule 15 except as herein specifically provided.”

The pleadings having been adjudicated at former hearings, State ex rel. Railroad Com’rs. v. Atlantic Coast Line R. Co., 59 Fla. 612, 52 South. Rep. 4; State ex rel. R. Com’rs. v. Atlantic Coast Line R. Co., 60 Fla. 218, 53 South. Rep. 601, the question here presented is whether the respondent has shown by evidence that the rule is invalid, and not applicable to it.

The contention of the respondent is that the evidence shows (1) that the respondent is not engaged in the service contemplated by Rule 15 A., and (2) that the enforcement of Rule 15 A. will in effect require the rendering of a service without reasonable compensation, and as a result will violate the property rights of the respondent that are secured by the Federal and State Constitutions.

When the respondent does not as a practically continuous transaction, interrupted only by the process of unloading and reloading at the mill, take a car arriving at Jacksonville from points in the State loaded with rough lumber, to a mill in the Jacksonville yards and there receive the same or the substitution car, loaded with dressed lumber, and transport it to another point in the same yards for the same consignee, Rule 15 A. does not apply. The reference in the rule to “tracks of more than one railroad,” must mean the use of such tracks by the carrier performing service covered by the rule.

If the transportation movement that brings the car of [472]*472rough lumber to Jacksonville from originating points within the State, ends with the delivery of the car at a planing mill in the Jacksonville yards, the rule does not apply.

Rule 15 A. clearly contemplates a service in which cars loaded with rough lumber and arriving at Jacksonville from within the State, will transport the rough lumber to a planing mill in the railroad yards at Jacksonville, and that the same or substituted cars operated by the same carrier will transport the same or equivalent lumber in-dressed form for the original consignee from the planing mill to points of ultimate delivery in the railroad yards at Jacksonville.

Unless the respondent is engaged in this service, the rule is not applicable.

There is testimony that when a consignee is advised by the railroad company of the arrival at Jacksonville of a car load of rough lumber consigned to him, it is on his order taken to the planing mill by the railroad company transporting it, and no charge therefor is made; that after the lumber is dressed, as a rule, it is transferred to another car for the convenience of the planing mill and the saving of time to the car, while at times “the dressed lumber' is reloaded on the same car which contained the original load;” that after the dressed lumber is loaded on to the car, the railroad company on order moves it to the desired point and makes a charge of $5.00, therefor if it moves over the tracks of one railroad company, and a charge of $7.00, is made if the movement is over the tracks of two or more railroad companies. There is also testimony that this service is rendered and the stated charges made by the respondent.

On this testimony it must be held that the respondent docs engage in the service covered by Rule 15 A. and has [473]*473violated the rule. It is contended that the evidence shows that the respondent delivers many more cars of rough lumber to the mills than it receives from the mills cars of dressed lumber for transportation to other points in the Jacksonville yards. Unless the service is rendered as above indicated Rule 15 A. does not apply.

On the motion to quash the alternative writ herein this court held that Rule 15 A. of the Railroad Commissioners of this State merely fixes a rate of compensation for moving cars of rough lumber consigned to and arriving at the City of Jacksonville from points in this State to any planing mill in the Jacksonville yards, and thence, after lumber is dressed to any point in said yards. This rule does not seek to compel a service.

The service contemplated by Rule 15 A. of the Railroad Commissioners of the State, is the movement of cars of lumber at Jacksonville to a planing mill in the Jacksonville yards for treatment, and thence after the lumber is dressed to another point in the railroad yards. This is in the nature of a special service which the carrier may engage in, but which service the shipper cannot, in the present state of the law, demand as a matter of lawful right.

The carrier is entitled as compensation, to a reasonable profit beyond the mere costs for the extra service rendered of moving cars loaded with rough lumber from points at Jacksonville to planing mills in the Jacksonville yards for treatment, and then thansporting and delivering the cars loaded with dressed lumber to the place of delivery in the yards of the carrier. See State ex rel. Railroad Commissioners v. Atlantic Coast Line R. R. Co., 59 Fla. 612, 52 South. Rep. 4. See, also, same case in 60 Fla. 218, 53 South. Rep. 601, where the answer of the respondent to the alternative writ was considered.

[474]*474A reasonable compensation for service rendered as a common carrier is a property right of the respondent that is protected by the provisions of the State and Federal Constitutions. State ex rel. Railroad Commissioners v. Louisville & N. R. Co., 63 Fla. 274, 57 South. Rep. 673.

If the rate of compensation prescribed by Rule 15 A.

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Bluebook (online)
64 Fla. 469, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-railroad-commissioners-v-atlantic-coast-line-railroad-fla-1912.