Source: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/307/486/
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 18:19:08+00:00

Document:
1. Provisions of the California Political Code requiring county supervisors when granting a toll bridge franchise to fix tolls which must not raise annually an income exceeding 15 percent. of a specified base, and providing that tolls shall not be increased or diminished unless it be shown that the receipts from them in any one year are "disproportionate" to the base, cannot be construed to mean that tolls shall not be reduced unless they yield in excess of the 15 percent. P. 307 U. S. 488.
2. A toll bridge company was notified that an investigation of the operation of its bridge would extend to the tolls. It was accorded and accepted opportunity to introduce evidence, and submitted its case for decision without request for findings or argument. The state commission, in reducing tolls, filed a decision sufficiently indicating the facts on which it made the order. In its petitions for rehearing and for judicial review, the company, though setting forth other objections specifically, did not claim that procedural due process had been denied by the commission. Held, that there is no basis for asserting the claim in this Court. Morgan v. United States, 304 U. S. 1, is not in point. P. 307 U. S. 492.
3. A company owning two bridges objected to regulation of the tolls on one without including the other, claiming that they were parts of the same system but competing, and that reduction of tolls on the one would force reduction on the other.
(1) That determination of the proper unit was in the first instance for the rate-fixing commission. P. 307 U. S. 494.
(2) As the other bridge is not used or useful in rendering any of the service covered by the tolls under investigation, and the duty to operate the one is independent of the duty to operate the other, the claim that the commission, in confining its regulation to the one bridge, abused its discretion and denied procedural due process is without foundation. P. 307 U. S. 494.
were inadequate; there must be allocation or apportionment, to the traffic covered by the reduced tolls, of operating expenses, cost of depreciation, taxes, sinking fund contributions, property values, etc., fairly attributable to the service covered by the order. P. 307 U. S. 494.
12 Cal.2d 184, 83 P.2d 1, affirmed.
Appeal from a judgment of the Supreme Court of California upholding an order of the State Railroad Commission which reduced in part the tolls charged for use of one of the appellant's bridges.
This appeal is from a judgment of the highest court of the State upholding an order of the state railroad commission that reduces tolls for use of appellant's bridge across the Carquinez Straits between the counties of Contra Costa and Solano. Appellant contends that the order violates Art. I, § 10, of the Constitution, that the commission's procedure was repugnant to the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, and that the order, in violation of that clause, prescribes rates that are confiscatory.
February 5, 1923, the board of supervisors of Contra Costa County, exerting power conferred by state legislation, [Footnote 1] passed ordinance No. 171 granting to the Rodeo-Vallejo Ferry Company a franchise to construct, and for 25 years to operate, the Carquinez bridge. June 4, 1923, the same board granted to the Delta Bridge Corporation a like franchise for the construction and operation of a bridge across the San Joaquin River near Antioch, between the counties of Contra Costa and Sacramento.
Each ordinance provides that, on the expiration of the franchise, the property rights, including title to the bridge, revert to the adjacent counties. Appellant became the owner of both franchises. The Antioch bridge was opened in January, 1926, and the Carquinez in May, 1927.
When the Carquinez bridge opened, the board of supervisors fixed tolls at 60 cents for automobiles and at 10 cents for each person in a vehicle or on foot. [Footnote 2] That scale was in operation when the commission made the order in question which reduced these charges to 45 and 5 cents, respectively. Jurisdiction over toll bridges having been conferred upon it by a statute of 1937, [Footnote 3] the commission, in August of that year on its own motion, commenced an investigation of all toll bridges. But, in October following, it commenced a separate proceeding solely to investigate reasonableness of Carquinez tolls. February 8, 1938, it announced its opinion and promulgated the order in question. Appellant obtained judicial review; the court upheld the order. 12 Cal.2d 184.
The statutory provisions authorizing the county board to grant the franchises, ordinance No. 171, and the grantees' acceptance constitute a contract between the parties. Contra Costa County v. American Toll Bridge Co., 10 Cal.2d 359, 74 P.2d 749. As to that, there is no controversy. But appellant contends that, under the franchise, it has a contract right that the bridge tolls shall not be reduced by the public authorities unless it shall first appear that they are yielding a rate in excess of 15 percent upon the rate base specified by §§ 2845 and 2846, Political Code.
"The board of supervisors granting authority to construct a toll-bridge . . . must at the same time:"
"2. Fix the amount of license tax to be paid by the person or corporation for taking tolls thereon, not less than three nor over one hundred dollars per month, payable annually;"
"3. Fix the rate of tolls which may be collected for crossing the bridge . . . which must not raise annually an income exceeding fifteen percent on the actual cost of the construction or erection and maintenance of the bridge . . . for the first year, nor on the fair cash value together with the repairs and maintenance thereof for any succeeding year. . . . [Footnote 4]"
"The license tax and rate of toll fixed as provided in the preceding section must not be increased or diminished during the term of twenty years at any time, unless it is shown to the satisfaction of the board of supervisors at the receipts from tolls in any one year is disproportionate to the cost of construction or erection, or the fair cash value thereof, together with the cost of all necessary repairs and maintenance of the bridge. . . . The license tax fixed by the board of supervisors must not exceed ten percent of the tolls annually collected."
that it also intended some measure of protection to the public's right to be charged not more than a reasonable toll for the use of the bridge. . . . In 1872, when section 2846 was enacted by the legislature, sufficient scope was allowed between both interests, public and private, to permit adequate elasticity in the exercise of the legislative ratemaking function in the light of prevailing economic conditions. Such a statute does not savor of a contract obligation to the grantee. Its object was to delegate to and vest in the designated body the power to regulate tolls as circumscribed by the stated limitation."
12 Cal.2d 195, 83 P.2d 6.
Upon the issue whether the order is repugnant to the contract clause, "No State shall . . . pass any . . .Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts," this Court, while inclining to the state court's construction, will decided for itself whether, as claimed by appellant, the franchise by contract limits exertion of sovereign powers to regulate tolls. Georgia Ry. Co. v. Decatur, 262 U. S. 432, 262 U. S. 438; New York Rapid Transit Corp. v. New York, 303 U. S. 573, 303 U. S. 593. And, if it plainly appears that it does, this Court will not hesitate so to adjudge. Detroit United Ry. v. Michigan, 242 U. S. 238, 242 U. S. 251-253; Cleveland v. Cleveland City Ry. Co., 194 U. S. 517, 194 U. S. 524, 194 U. S. 536; Detroit v. Detroit Citizens' Street Ry. Co., 184 U. S. 368, 184 U. S. 382, 184 U. S. 389; St. Cloud Public Service Co. v. St. Cloud, 265 U. S. 352. Compare Georgia v. Chattanooga, 264 U. S. 472, 264 U. S. 480.
county boards should annually prescribe, declaring, however, that they should not be so low as to make income less than a specified percentage of a defined base. On that foundation, it maintains that there was an evolution of policy to grant to builders and operators of bridges contract rights as to tolls. In that light, it examines the language of §§ 2845 and 2846 and concludes that the proper construction of the franchise in question is that, unless the yield becomes in excess of 15 percent, the license tax must not be increased and the rate of toll must not be diminished.
annual return becomes more than 15 percent. See e.g., Paducah v. Paducah Ry. Co., 261 U. S. 267, 261 U. S. 275; Banton v. Belt Line Ry. Corp., 268 U. S. 413, 268 U. S. 417-419; Railroad Commission v. Los Angeles Ry. Corp., 280 U. S. 145, 280 U. S. 152, 280 U. S. 155. The order is not repugnant to the contract clause.
"In the matter of the investigation, upon the commission's own motion, into the rates, charges, contracts, classifications, rules and regulations of American Toll Bridge Company covering its operation of the toll bridge over the Carquinez Straits between the counties of Contra Costa and Solano;"
gave appellant notice that the investigation would extend to tolls for use of that bridge; accorded it opportunity to introduce evidence and present is contentions, and received the evidence offered by it, 233 pages of the printed record and numerous exhibits. Appellant submitted the case for decision without making any request for findings and without argument, oral or written. The commission, without formal findings, filed its decision which, sufficiently to meet requirements of due process, indicates the facts on which it made the order.
specifically sets forth the grounds on which appellant claimed the decision to be unlawful. These include the commission's determination of the various classes of facts usually considered in cases in which prescribed rates are challenged as confiscatory. The petition contains no hint of claim that the commission denied appellant procedural due process. Nor was that specified in the petition for judicial review. Morgan v. United States, 304 U. S. 1, on which appellant relies, was decided after filing of that petition and before argument in the California court. That court rightly held it not in point.
Appellant also claims that the commission denied it procedural due process by excluding the Antioch bridge rates from the proceeding. It moved to include with this proceeding an investigation of the Antioch bridge tolls. In support of the motion, it suggested that the bridges are part of a single system, but compete with each other; that operations of the Antioch are less satisfactory financially than those of the Carquinez, and that reduction of Carquinez tolls would force reduction of Antioch tolls.
In the first instance, at least, determination of the proper unit for ratemaking was for the commission. The Antioch bridge is not used or useful to render any service covered by the Carquinez tolls; appellant's duty to operate either bridge is independent of its obligation to operate the other. The record discloses no basis on which it reasonably may be held that, by limiting the investigation to the Carquinez tolls, the commission abused its discretion, and clearly there is no foundation for the claim that, in excluding the Antioch, the commission denied appellant procedural due process. See Gilchrist v. Interborough Co., 279 U. S. 159, 279 U. S. 206, 279 U. S. 209; Wabash Valley Elec. Co. v. Young, 287 U. S. 488, 287 U. S. 495-498; Florida Power & Light Co. v. Miami, 98 F.2d 180; International Ry. Co. v. Prendergast, 1 F.Supp. 623. Cf. Coney v. Broad River Power Co., 171 S.C. 377, 172 S.E. 437.
There is no foundation for the claim that the commission's procedure violated the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
may not be adjudged that the State by enforcement of the measure complained of will deprive appellant of its property without due process of law. Chicago & G.T. Ry. Co. v. Wellman, 143 U. S. 339, 143 U. S. 344-345; San Diego Land & Town Co. v. Jasper, 189 U. S. 439, 189 U. S. 441, 189 U. S. 446; Knoxville v. Water Co., 212 U. S. 1, 212 U. S. 8, 212 U. S. 16; The Minnesota Rate Cases, 230 U. S. 352, 230 U. S. 433, 230 U. S. 452; Brush Elec. Co. v. Galveston, 262 U. S. 443, 262 U. S. 446; Aetna Insurance Co. v. Hyde, 275 U. S. 440, 275 U. S. 448.
The terms of the order must first be given attention. It directs appellant to change the items of its schedule of charges, reading as follows: "Passengers (7 years of age and older) on foot or in vehicles. . . .10. Auto only. . . .60" so as to read: "Passengers (7 years of age and older) on foot or in vehicles. . . .05. Auto only. . . .45." Thus, the order extends only to automobiles and passengers. The Carquinez franchise specifies, until otherwise ordered by the commission, tolls applicable to other classes of traffic crossing the bridge, namely, bicycles, carts and wagons, commercial or delivery automobiles and motor trucks, ditchers, harvesters, etc., cattle and stock, motor stages to which commutation rates are applied when operated as specified, freight, hearses, horses, motorcycles, and trailers.
does not tend to show that the rates on automobiles and persons prescribed by the commission's order are too low. Minnesota Rate Cases, supra, pp. 230 U. S. 452-453; Baltimore & Ohio R. Co. v. United States, 298 U. S. 349, 298 U. S. 372, 298 U. S. 378, 298 U. S. 381. It follows that appellant is not titled to a decree that the order is confiscatory.
More need not be written to dispose of the issues presented in this case. But, in view of appellant's earnest contentions, it is not inappropriate to say that the record, considered in the light of its argument, fails to show that the rate reduction will so lessen revenues from the Carquinez bridge that there will remain less than sufficient under the due process clause to constitute just compensation for its use a reasonable rate of return on the value of the bridge property.
MR. JUSTICE BLACK, MR. JUSTICE FRANKFURTER and MR. JUSTICE DOUGLAS concur in the result.
Political Code, §§ 2843, 2845, 2846, and 2872 (as amended May 8, 1923, Cal.Stats.1923, p. 272).
The franchise ordinance fixed these tolls at 75 cents and 15 cents.
Act of August 27, 1937, Cal.Stats.1937, p. 2473.
"Fix the rate of tolls which may be collected for crossing the bridge . . . which may raise annually an income not exceeding fifteen percent on the actual cost of the construction or erection of the bridge . . . and such additional income as will provide for the annual cost of operation, maintenance, amortization and taxes of the bridge. . . ."
"II. Exclusion of Antioch Bridge."
"2. Inevitable Effect of Decision on Tolls of Carquinez Bridge, Antioch Bridge and Martinez-Benicio Ferry."
"3. The Decision is Contrary to the Commission's Own Traditions and Policy."
"4. The Commission's Action Deprives American Toll Bridge Company of Its Property Without Due Process of Law in Violation of Guarantees of the Federal and the State Constitutions."
"III. Failure to Give Fair Return on Fair Value of Carquinez Bridge."
"1. Calculations of Commission in Computing Its Rate."
"2. Errors in Commission's Computations."
" (2) Money Available for Return on Rate Base (under 50 toll)."
"3. Return Under Rate Fixed by Commission."
"4. In View of the Cost of Money to American Toll Bridge Company, a Return of Only 6.6% Or 6.9% On the Fair Value of the Carquinez Bridge Would be Confiscatory."
"5. Summary as to Fair Return, Carquinez Bridge."
"IV. Failure to Give Fair Return on Fair Value of Carquinez and Antioch Bridges."
"2. Return Under Rate Fixed by Commission."
"3. Effect of Commission's Decision Would be to Confiscate Property of American Toll Bridge Company in Both Carquinez and Antioch Bridges."
"V. Under Commission's Tolls American Toll Bridge Company Would be Unable to Meet Its Requirements to Its Bondholders and Stockholders."
"VI. Impairment of Contract Obligations."
"VII. False Analogy With Publicly Owned and Operated San Francisco Bay Bridges."
"VIII. Violation of Constitutional and Statutory Rights."

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