Source: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/238/473/
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 04:44:53+00:00

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Justia › US Law › US Case Law › US Supreme Court › Volume 238 › Mills v. Lehigh Valley R. Co.
In a suit under § 16 of the Act to Regulate Commerce, a report of the Interstate Commerce Commission finding that the rate complained of was unreasonable, and awarding specified amount for reparation, is prima facie evidence of the damages sustained, although the evidential or primary facts are not et forth. Meeker & Co. v. Lehigh Valley R. Co., 236 U. S. 412; id., 236 U. S. 434.
shipper complaining of unreasonable and discriminatory rates, as reparation, it expresses such decision as a matter of ultimate fact, and under the provisions of the Act to Regulate Commerce, the form of expression is not confined to a particular formula.
The Act to Regulate Commerce does not allow any attorney's fee for reparation proceeding before the Commission, but only allows such a fee in an action in the courts based on the reparation award. Meeker & Co. v. Lehigh Valley R. Co., 236 U. S. 432.
The facts, which involve claims of shippers against the carriers for unreasonable and discriminatory rates, are stated in the opinion.
ton to points of destination to which there was a rate of $2 on pyrites cinder. Reparation was refused. Naylor & Co. v. Lehigh Valley Railroad Company, 15 I.C.C. 9. Order was made accordingly.
On May 8, 1909, Naylor & Company filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission a motion for a rehearing on the question of reparation alone, and the motion was granted. Additional evidence was taken, and various sums were awarded by the Commission against the respective companies as reparation on shipments made within the period of limitation. The order was made on June 2, 1910.
before the Interstate Commerce Commission, and a further fee of like amount for their services in this suit, and to this allowance the defendants excepted. Exceptions having also been taken to the refusal of the request of the court to direct a verdict for the defendants, to the instruction given, and to the dismissal of the motion for judgment non obstante veredicto, proceedings in error were had before the circuit court of appeals, where the judgment was reversed without directing a new trial. Lehigh Valley R. Co. v. Clark, 207 F. 717. And to review the judgment this writ of error has been prosecuted.
The grounds of the ruling of the court below are first, that there were no sufficient findings of fact in the reports of the Commission, as required by the statute, and second that the plaintiffs had failed to present any evidence which made out a prima facie case of damage sustained. That is, it is said that, if the statements in the first report of the Commission could be regarded as findings of fact within the meaning of the statute so as to make them prima facie evidence of the facts found, they were not sufficient to support the plaintiffs' claim, and that there were no facts found in the second report which entitled the plaintiffs to go to the jury.
(1) the relation of the parties as shipper and carrier in interstate commerce; (2) the character and amount of the traffic out of which the claims arose; (3) the rates paid by the shipper for the service rendered, and whether they were according to the established tariff; (4) whether and in what way unjust discrimination was practised against the shipper . . . ; (5) whether, if there was unjust discrimination, the shipper was injured thereby, and, if so, the amount of his damages; (6) whether the rate collected from the shipper . . . was excessive and unreasonable, and, if so, what would have been a reasonable rate for the service, and (7) whether, if the rate was excessive and unreasonable, the shipper was injured thereby, and, if so, the amount of his damages."
In the case now under consideration, the first report of the Commission was concerned only with the rates which should be charged. No reparation was allowed, and no findings whatever were made as to damages.
"In the report made by this Commission following an inquiry into the reasonableness of the rate of $2 per gross ton exacted by the defendants for the transportation of pyrites cinder from Buffalo, New York, to points in the "
States of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the rate was found excessive, and the defendants were ordered to establish a rate not to exceed that contemporaneously applying on shipments of iron ore between the same points. Reparation was denied. Naylor & Co. v. L.V. R. Co., 15 I.C.C. 9.
"Pursuant to the Commission's order, the defendants reduced the rate on pyrites cinder to $1.45, the rate on iron ore. The complainant thereupon filed a motion for rehearing upon the question of reparation, and, after consideration by the Commission, the motion was granted. Additional evidence was taken and the parties were heard in oral argument. "
"We now find that the rate of $2 per gross ton, assessed and collected by the defendants on the shipments giving rise to complaint, was unjust and unreasonable to the extent that it exceeded the subsequently established rate of $1.45 per gross ton. Complainant is entitled to reparation on all shipments moving within the period of the statute of limitations. Detroit Chemical Works v. N.C. R. Co., 13 I.C.C. 357; Same v. Erie R. Co. 13 I.C.C. 363."
"The Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh Railway Company and the Philadelphia & Reading Railway Company will be required to refund to the complainant $2,846.55, with interest from November 21, 1907, as reparation for the collection of unreasonable charges on 189 carloads of pyrites cinder aggregating 5,175 1590/2240 tons in weight moving from Buffalo to various Pennsylvania points."
"The New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Company and the Philadelphia & Reading Railway Company will be required to refund to the complainant $248.93, with interest from April 19, 1907, as reparation for the collection of unreasonable charges on 13 carloads of pyrites cinder aggregating 452 1370/2240 tons in weight moving from Buffalo to various Pennsylvania points."
"The Delaware, Lackawanna, & Western Railroad Company and the Central Railroad Company of New Jersey will be required to refund to the complainant $487.52, with interest from September 23, 1907, as reparation for the collection of unreasonable charges on 31 carloads of pyrites cinder aggregating 886 960/2240 tons in weight, moving from Buffalo to Newark, New Jersey."
"The Lehigh Valley Railroad Company and the Central Railroad Company of New Jersey will be required to refund to the complainant $1,024.15, with interest from November 13, 1907, as reparation for the collection of unreasonable charges on 74 carloads of pyrites cinder aggregating 1,862 220/2240 tons in weight, moving from Buffalo to various Pennsylvania and New Jersey points."
aggregating 4,295 20/2240 tons in weight, moving from Buffalo to various Pennsylvania and New Jersey points."
"It will be ordered accordingly."
"We now find that the rate of $2 per gross ton, assessed and collected by the defendants on the shipments giving rise to complaint, was unjust and unreasonable to the extent that it exceeded the subsequently established rate of $1.45 per gross ton."
finding in the second report that the rate exacted "was unjust and unreasonable" to the extent specified was a finding as to the ultimate fact of unreasonableness which should be taken precisely as made. The finding in this respect is substantially the same as that in the second Meeker case ( 236 U. S. 236 U.S. 434, 236 U. S. 435-436).
As to the amount of damage sustained, there would be no question if the Commission had found, as in the case last cited, that the shipper "was damaged" to the amount mentioned. The distinction attempted to be drawn is that, in the case referred to, there was a statement that the shipper "was damaged," while, in the present case, the Commission held that he was entitled to the stated amount "as reparation." In both cases, the amount actually allowed was the difference between the amount charged and that which would have been payable at the rate sanctioned. The difference between the findings in the two cases, we think, is merely in the form of words used.
Commission effect as prima facie evidence, we think that the trial court did not err in its ruling. The statutory provision merely established a rule of evidence. It leaves every opportunity to the defendant to contest the claim. But when the Commission has found that there was damage to a specified extent, prima facie the damage is shown, and, according to the fair import of its decision, the Commission did find the amount of damage in this case.
There was error, however, in the allowance of the fee for services before the Commission. 236 U. S. 236 U.S. 432, 236 U. S. 433.
The judgment of the circuit court of appeals is reversed, and that of the district court is modified by striking out the allowance of $1,000 as attorney's fee for services before the Commission, and is affirmed as so modified.

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