Court Opinion

ID: 9421588
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-02 22:59:01.396258+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:22:31.274367
License: Public Domain

Mr. Justice Frankfurter,
whom
Mr. Justice Harlan joins, dissenting.
The sole question presented by the case is this:
Under his powers and duties to effectuate the scheme designed by Congress through the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921, for the regulation of the stockyards industry, is the Secretary of Agriculture barred from determining on the basis of evidence whether or not regulations are reasonable that are promulgated by the Denver Stockyards for the purpose of preventing the diversion of stockyard services from the Denver Stockyards that as a matter of normal business flow would go to the Denver yards, on the challenge to such regulations by a market agency registered at the Denver Stockyards to furnish “reasonable stockyard services” at that yard?
To deny the Secretary of Agriculture the power even to hear evidence as to the reasonableness of such regulations is to misconceive the whole scheme for the regional *293regulation of the stockyards industry for which stockyards and market agencies are geographically licensed, and to deny to the Secretary of Agriculture powers of administration that Congress has conferred upon him.
While a regulation may, like the one in question, on its face — that is, abstractly considered — appear to be unreasonable because discriminatory, elucidation of such a regulation in the concrete, on the basis of its practical operation in light of evidence, may negative such appearance. It is for the Secretary of Agriculture to hear such relevant evidence and to assess it, subject to the appropriate scope of judicial review. This proceeding should therefore be remanded to the Secretary of Agriculture for appropriate action. These views aré elaborated in Mr. Justice Whittaker's opinion, which I join.