SEABOARD AIR LINE RAILWAY COMPANY
v.
RAILROAD COMMISSION OF GEORGIA

U.S. | 1916-02-21
No. 170
240 U.S. 324 Supreme Court of the United States (1916) Positive Treatment
Also reported at: 60 L. Ed. 669 · 36 S. Ct. 260 · 1916 U.S. LEXIS 1454 · SCDB 1915-103
Cited by 10 cases

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Synopsis

The Railroad Commission of Georgia ordered two railroad companies to establish a physical connection at Lawrenceville, and the Seaboard Air Line Railway challenged the order as unreasonable and beyond the commission's authority. The Supreme Court affirmed the order, holding that states have the power through administrative bodies to require railroad companies to make track connections when public necessity is established and the benefits outweigh the expenses, and that the commission's finding of public necessity was supported by sufficient evidence in the record.

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Opinion of the Court
Mr. Justice McReynolds

Mr. Justice McReynolds delivered the opinion of the court.

After hearing the interésted parties, the Railroad Commission of Georgia concluded that making and maintaining physical connection at Lawrenceville, Georgia (a manufacturing town with two thousand inhabitants), between Lawrenceville Branch Railroad and Seaboard Air Line Railway would be practicable and to the public interest; and accordingly passed an order that within four months the roads should provide and maintain one, together with sufficient interchange tracks to care for traffic moving between -them. No definite point for the connection was prescribed; opinion was expressed that expenses should be borne equally by the two companies; and they were directed to report their action within thirty days. Appellant brought this proceeding in the United States' District Court, Northern District of Georgia, alleging the order was null and void and asking that its enforcement be enjoined; That court heard additional evidence and upon the whole record concluded the challenged order was not Unreasonable and the commission was fully justified in making it. 206 Fed. Rep. 181. Injunction was accordingly denied and suit dismissed, and this action was affirmed by the Circuit Court of Appeals. 213 Fed. Rep. 27.

Section 2664, Georgia Code, 1910, gives the railroad commission "power and authority, when in its judgment practicable and’ to uhe interest of the public, to order and compel the making and operation of physical connection between lines of railroad crossing or - intersecting each other, on entering the same incorporated town or city in this State.” Wadley Southern Ry. v. Georgia, 235 U. S. 651.

It is within the power of a State, acting through án administrative body, to require railroad companies to make track connections where the established facts show public necessity therefor, just regard being given to advantages which will probably result on one side and necessary expenses to-be incurred on the other. The facts being established, the-question then presented is whether as matter.of law there is sufficient evidence to support a finding of public necessity — the mere declaration of a commission is not conclusive. Wisconsin &c. R. R. v. Jacobson, 179 U. S. 287, 295, 296; Oregon R. R. & Nav. Co. v. Fairchild, 224 U. S. 510; Great Northern Ry. v. Minnesota, 238 U. S. 340, 345.

The state commission and both courts were of opinion that the facts sufficed to show public necessity for the connection in question and that it could be constructed and maintained without unreasonable expenditure. The only substantial question before us is whether such find ing is plainly erroneous because the evidence is insufficient to-support it; and, having examined the record, we are unable to say the facts disclosed do not give the essential support. The judgment of the court below is accordingly.

Affirmed.

Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus

Citator

Cited By

  • State v. The Fla. E. Coast Ry. Co., 71 Fla. 433 (Fla. 1916)
    …heir statutory authority are as a matter of organic law not conclusive. If such an order is made without a legally sufficient evidentiary basis to support it, the order is not enforceable. See Seaboard Air Line Ry. v. Railroad Commission of Georgia, 240 U. S. 324, 36 Sup. Ct. Rep. 260; Wisconsin M. & P. R. Co. v. Jacobson, 179 U. S. 287, 21 Sup. Ct. Rep. 115; State of Washington ex rel. Oregon R. & Navigation Co. v. Railroad Commis [*466] sioners of State of Washington, 224 U. S. 510, 32 Sup. Ct. Rep. 535;…
  • The State of Fla. ex rel. R.R. Comm'rs v. Atl. Coast Line R.R. Co. & Clyde S.S. Co., 77 Fla. 366 (Fla. 1919)
    …eir statutory authority are, as a matter of organic law, not conclusive. If such an order is made without a legally sufficient evidentiary basis to support it, the order is not enforceable. See Seabord Air Line Ry. v. Railroad Commission of Georgia, 240 U. S. 324, 36 Sup. Ct. Rep. 260; Wisconsin M. & P. R. Co. v. Jacobson, 179 U. S. 287, 21 Sup. Ct. Rep. 115; State of Washington ex. rel. Oregon R. & Navigation Co. v. Railroad Commissioners of State of Washington, 224 U. S. 510, 32 Sup. Ct. Rep. 535; Great N…
  • State ex rel. R.R. Comm'rs v. Atl. Coast Line R.R. Co. & Clyde S.S. Co., 81 Fla. 168 (Fla. 1921)
    …. Rep. 585. Missouri Pac. R. Co. v. State of Kansas ex rel. Railroad Com’rs, 216 U. S. 262, text 279, 30 Sup. Ct. Rep. 330; New York v. Barker, 179 U. S. 287, text 302, 21 Sup. Ct. Rep. 124; Seaboard Air Line Ry v. Railroad Commissioners of Georgia, 240 U. S. 324, 36 Sup. Ct. Rep. 260; Chesapeake & Ohio Ry. Co. v.. Public Service Commission of West Virginia, 242 U. S. 603, 61 L. Ed. 520, 37 Sup. Ct. Rep. 234; Chicago & Northwestern Ry. Co. v. Ochs, 249 U. S. 416, 39 Sup. Ct. Rep. 346; State ex rel. Railroad…

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