圣路易斯案例文档格式.docx

圣路易斯案例文档格式.docx

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U.S.SupremeCourt

UnitedStatesv.TerminalRailroadAss'

n,224U.S.383（1912）

UnitedStatesv.TerminalRailroadAssociationofSt.Louis

No.386

ArguedOctober20,23,1911

DecidedApril22,1912

224U.S.383

APPEALFROMTHECIRCUITCOURTOFTHEUNITEDSTATES

FORTHEEASTERNDISTRICTOFMISSOURI

Syllabus

Whethertheunificationofterminalsinarailroadcenterisapermissiblefacilityinaidofinterstatecommerce,oranillegalcombinationinrestraintthereof,dependsupontheintenttobeinferredfromtheextentofthecontrolsecuredovertheinstrumentalitieswhichsuchcommerceiscompelledtouse,themethodbywhichsuchcontrolhasbeenobtained,andthemannerinwhichitisexercised.

Theunification统一ofsubstantiallyeveryterminalfacilitybywhichthetrafficofSt.Louisisservedisacombinationinrestraintofinterstate

tradewithinthemeaningandpurposesoftheAnti-TrustActofJuly2,1890,asthesamehasbeenconstruedbythisCourtinStandardOilCo.v.UnitedStates,221U.S.1,andUnitedStatesv.AmericanTobaccoCo.,221U.S.106.

ThehistoryoftheunificationoftherailroadterminalsystemsinSt.LouisintheTerminalRailroadAssociationshowsanintent表明意图todestroytheindependentexistenceoftheterminalsystemspreviouslyexisting,toclosethedoortocompetition,andtopreventthejointuseorcontroloftheterminalsbyanynonproprietarycompany.

Aprovision规定inanagreementforjointuseofterminalsbynonproprietarycompaniesonequaltermsdoesnotrender给予anillegalcombinationlegalwherethereisnoprovisionbywhichthenonproprietary非专利companiescanenforcetheirrighttosuchuse.

Althoughtheproprietarycompaniesofacombinationunifying统一terminalsmaynotusetheirfullpowertoimpedefreecompetitionbyoutsidecompanies,thecontrolmaysoresultinmethodsinconsistentwithfreedomofcompetitionastorenderitanillegalrestraintundertheShermanAct.

ThisCourtbasesitsconclusionthattheunificationoftheterminalsinSt.Louisisanillegalrestraintoninterstatetraffic,andnotanaidthereto,largelyupontheextraordinarysituationatSt.Louisanduponthephysicalandtopographicalconditionsofthelocality.

Acombinationofterminalfacilities,whichisanillegalrestraintoftradebyreasonoftheexclusionofnonproprietarycompanies,maybemodifiedbythecourtbypermittingsuchnonproprietorstoavailofthefacilitiesonequalterms.

Inthiscase,heldthatthepracticesoftheTerminalAssociationinnotonlyabsorbingotherrailroadcorporationbutindoingatransportationbusinessotherthansupplyingterminalfacilitiesoperatedtothedisadvantageofinterstatecommerce.

OneofthefundamentalpurposesoftheAnti-TrustActistoprotect,andnottodestroy,therightsofproperty,and,inapplyingtheremedy,injurytothepublicbythepreventionoftherestraintisthefoundationoftheprohibitionsofthestatute.StandardOilCo.v.UnitedStates,221U.S.1,221U.S.78.

Wheretheillegalityofthecombinationgrowsoutofadministrativeconditionswhichmaybeeliminated,aninhibitionoftheobnoxiouspracticesmayvindicatethestatute,andwherepublicadvantagesofaunifiedsystemcanbepreserved,thatmethodmaybeadoptedbytheCourt.

Inthiscase,theobjectsoftheAnti-TrustActarebestattainedbyadecreedirectingthedefendantstoreorganizethecontractsunifying

theterminalfacilitiesofSt.Louisundertheircontrolsoastopermittheproperandequalusethereofbynonproprietarycompanies,andabolishingtheobnoxiouspracticesinregardtotransportationofmerchandise.Unlessdefendants,whosecombinationhasbeendeclaredillegalbyreasonofadministrativeabuse,mollifyittothesatisfactionoftheCourtsoastoeliminatesuchabuseinthefuture,theCourtwilldirectacompletedisjoinderoftheelementofthecombinationandenjointhedefendantsfromexercisinganyjointcontrolthereover.

Thefacts,whichinvolvethevalidityundertheShermanAnti-TrustActoftheTerminalRailroadAssociationofSt.Louis,arestatedintheopinion.

MR.JUSTICELURTONdeliveredtheopinionoftheCourt.

TheUnitedStatesfiledthisbilltoenforcetheprovisionsoftheShermanActofJuly2,1890,c.647,26Stat.209,againstthirty-eightcorporateandindividualdefendantsnamedinthemargin,*asacombinationinrestraint

ofinterstatecommerceandasamonopolyforbiddenbythatlaw.Thecausewasheardbythefourcircuitjudges,who,beingequallydividedinjudgment,dismissedthebillwithoutfilinganopinion.FromthisdecreetheUnitedStateshasappealed.

TheprincipaldefendantistheTerminalRailroadAssociationofSt.Louis,hereinafterdesignatedastheterminalcompany.ItisacorporationoftheStateofMissouri,andwasorganizedunderanagreementmadein1889betweenMr.JayGouldandanumberofthedefendantrailroadcompaniesfortheexpresspurposeofacquiringthepropertiesofseveralindependentterminalcompaniesatSt.Louiswithaviewtocombiningandoperatingthemasaunitarysystem.

Theterminalpropertiesfirstacquiredandcombinedintoonesystembytheterminalcompanycomprisedthefollowing:

TheUnionRailway&

TransitCompanyofSt.LouisandEastSt.Louis;

theTerminalRailroadofSt.LouisandEastSt.Louis;

theUnionDepotCompanyofSt.Louis;

theSt.LouisBridgeCompany,andtheTunnelRailroadofSt.Louis.Thesepropertiesincludedthegreatunionstation,theonlyexistingrailroadbridge--theEadsorSt.Louisbridge--andeveryconnectingorterminalcompanybymeansofwhichthatbridgecouldbeusedbyrailroadsterminatingoneithersideoftheriver.Foratime,thiscombinationwasoperatedincompetition

withtheterminalsystemoftheWigginsFerryCompany,anduponthecompletionoftheMerchants'

Bridge,incompetitionwithit,andasystemofterminalswhichwereorganizedinconnectionwithit.TheWigginsFerryCompanyhadformanyyearsoperatedcartransferboatsbymeansofwhichcarsweretransferredbetweenSt.LouisandEastSt.Louis.

Uponeachsideoftheriver,itownedextensiverailwayterminalfacilities,withwhichconnectionwasmaintainedwiththemanyrailroadsterminatingonthewestandeastsidesoftherivers,whichgavesuchroadsconnectionwitheachother,aswellasaccesstomanyoftheindustrialandbusinessdistrictsoneachside.In1890,athirdterminalsystemwasopenedupbythecompletionofasecondrailroadbridgeovertheMississippiRiveratSt.Louis,knownastheMerchants'

Bridge.Thiswasarailroadtollbridge,opentoeveryrailroaduponequalterms.Thatitmightforevermaintainthepotentialityofcompetitionasarailroadbridge,theActofCongressauthorizingitsconstructionprovidedthatnostockholdersinanyotherrailwaybridgecompanyshouldbecomeastockholdertherein.But,asthiswasamerebridgecompany,itwasessentialthatrailroadcompaniesdesiringtouseitshouldhaverailwayconnectionswithitoneachsideoftheriver.Forthispurpose,twoormorerailwaycompanieswereorganizedandlinesofrailwaywereconstructedconnectingeachendoftheMerchants'

Bridgewithvariousrailroadsystemsterminatingoneithersideoftheriver.TheMerchants'

Bridgeanditsalliedterminalsweretherebyabletoaffordmany,ifnotall,oftherailroadscomingintoSt.Louisaccesstothebusinessdistrictsonbothsidesoftheriverandconnectionwitheachother.

Thus,foratime,thereexistedthreeindependentmethodsbywhichconnectionwasmaintainedbetweenrailroadsterminatingoneithersideoftheriveratSt.Louis:

first,theoriginalWigginsFerryCompany,and

itsrailwayterminalconnections;

second,theEadsRailroadBridgeandtheseveralterminalcompaniesbymeansofwhichrailroadsterminatingatSt.Louiswereabletousethatbridgeandconnectwithoneanother,constitutingthesystemcontrolledbytheterminalcompany;

and,third,theMerchants'

Bridgeandterminalfacilitiesownedandoperatedbycompaniesinconnectiontherewith.

Thisresultedinsomecasesinanunnecessaryduplicationoffacilities,butitatleastgavetocarriersandshipperssomechoice,aconditionwhich,ifitdoesnotleadtocompetitionincharges,doesinsurecompetitioninservice.Importantasweretheconsiderationsmentioned,theirindependenceofoneanotherservedtokeepopenthemeansfortheentranceofnewlinestothecity,andwasanobstacletounitedoppositionfromexistinglines.Theimportanceofthiswillbemoreclearlyseenwhenwecometoconsiderthetopographicalconditionsofthesituation.

ThatthepromotersoftheterminalcompanydesignedtoobtainthecontrolofeveryfeasiblemeansofrailroadaccesstoSt.Louis,ormeansofconnectingthelinesofrailwayenteringonoppositesidesoftheriver,ismanifestedbythedeclarationsoftheoriginalagreement.aswellasbythesuccessivestepswhichfollowed.Thus,theprovisointheActofCongressauthorizingtheconstructionoftheMerchants'

Bridge,whichforbadetheownershipofitsstockbyanyotherbridgecompanyorstockholderinanysuchcompany,waseliminatedbyanactofCongress,andshortlythereaftertheterminalcompanyobtainedstockcontroloftheMerchants'

BridgeCompany,andofitsrelatedterminalcompanies,andlikewisealease.

TheWigginsFerryCompanyownedtheriverfrontontheIllinoisshoreoppositeSt.Louisforadistanceofseveralmiles.Ithadonthatsideandonitsownpropertyswitchingyardsandotherterminalfacilities.FromtheseyardsextendedlinesofrailswhichconnectedwithitscartransferboatsandwiththeterminiofrailroadsontheIllinoisside.

OntheSt.