Source: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/259/150/case.html
Timestamp: 2016-09-30 22:06:26
Document Index: 360100843

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 240', '§ 240', '§ 6262', '§ 240', '§ 6262', '§ 6262', '§6262']

Rainier Brewing Co. v. Great Norther Pacific S.S. Co. :: 259 U.S. 150 (1922) :: Justia U.S. Supreme Court Center Log In
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Rainier Brewing Co. v. Great Norther Pacific S.S. Co. 259 U.S. 150 (1922)
U.S. Supreme CourtRainier Brewing Co. v. Great Norther Pacific S.S. Co., 259 U.S. 150 (1922)Rainier Brewing Company v. GreatNorther Pacific Steamship CompanyNo. 267Argued April 21, 1922Decided May 15, 1922259 U.S. 150ERROR TO THE CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS
1. Under Criminal Code § 240 and the Webb-Kenyon Act, c. 90, 37 Stat. 699, a railroad company could carry intoxicating liquor into a state only when labeled as required by § 240 and by the state law. P. 259 U. S. 152.
2. Under the law of Washington (2 Remington's Codes & Stats., 1915, §§ 6262-1 to 6262-22), which allowed intoxicating liquors to be brought in only in packages each containing a strictly limited quantity and bearing a permit from the state showing origin and destination of the shipment and the name of the shipper, who must also be the ultimate consignee, and which made it the carrier's Page 259 U. S. 151 duty to cancel the permit before delivery, a railroad company was not allowed to transport such packages in carload lots billed to a transfer company at the place of destination and deliver them to the transfer company for distribution and delivery there to the several permittees. P. 259 U. S. 154.
When the cars reached Portland the Northern Pacific Company refused to accept them, claiming that it could not lawfully carry intoxicating liquors in carload lots into the State of Washington under the laws of the United States and of that state. Thereupon the liquor Page 259 U. S. 152 was rebilled, each package or case separately, and the railroad company carried it to Seattle and delivered it to the individual consignees.
This suit is by the railroad company to recover the difference between the carload and the less than carload rate for the shipment. The case was tried on stipulated facts, and, a jury being waived, the district court rendered judgment for the plaintiff, which was affirmed by the circuit court of appeals. The parties agree that only one question is presented for decision, viz.: could the railroad company have lawfully transported the beer to Seattle and have delivered it to the transfer company, the consignee named in the bill of lading, in carload lots?
The Webb-Kenyon Act prohibited the "shipment or transportation, in any manner or by any means whatsoever," of any intoxicating liquors of any kind from one state to another state to be received or in any manner used in violation of any law of any such latter state (37 Stat. p. 699, c. 80). With these laws in force at the time, the railroad company could carry the beer into Washington only when labeled as required by § 240, supra, and in Page 259 U. S. 153 the manner allowed by the laws of that state (Clark Distilling Co. v. Western Maryland Railway Co., 242 U. S. 311), which we shall briefly consider.
Section 6262-29 of the state law, cited supra, limited the amount of liquor which any person, other than a common carrier, could bring into the state at one time to not more than 12 quarts of beer or one-half gallon of other liquor, and even this amount could lawfully be imported only under a permit issued by a county auditor. Only one such permit could be issued to any one person in any 20-day period (§ 6262-16).
"County Auditor"
The law further required that the permit should be conspicuously affixed to each package or parcel containing Page 259 U. S. 154 liquor brought into the state, and, when so affixed, it authorized any railroad company to transport not to exceed in one package or parcel the limited amount specified. It was further declared to be unlawful for any railroad company to knowingly transport such liquor in the state without having the required permit conspicuously attached to each parcel containing it, and the carrier was required to so cancel the permit that it could not be used again. It was made unlawful for any person to receive such liquor which did not have the required permit attached thereto and properly cancelled. See §§ 6262-15 and 6262-18. Each package must be "clearly and plainly marked in large letters: 1This Package Contains Intoxicating Liquor'" (§6262-20).
This statement of the applicable law shows that the purpose of the legislation was to make the transportation of intoxicating liquors in the State of Washington as difficult, conspicuous and expensive as possible. Only an individual could qualify to ship or receive it, and it was intended that it should move only in a single package of strictly limited quantity, with a permit attached showing its origin, destination, and the name of the shipper, who must also be the ultimate consignee. A carrier could lawfully receive it for transportation only when the required permit was attached, and it was made its legal duty to deface and cancel such permit before delivery so that it could not again be used. It is stipulated that all of the statutory requirements as to packing, permits, and markings were complied with as to the packages here involved, but it is argued that, when so prepared for shipment, the statute permitted the beer to be carried not only by a railroad company, but also by "any person, firm or corporation operating any vehicle for transportation of goods," and that therefore the railroad company could have discharged all of its obligations under the law by making bulk delivery of the carload lots to the transfer company for distribution and delivery to the permittees, Page 259 U. S. 155 who were the ultimate and real consignees, trusting to that company to make only legal deliveries and to cancel all permits as required by the statute.