Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Co. v. United States
United States Court of Claims
The Reporter’s statement of the case: The “ Postmaster General is authorized to add to the compensation paid for transportation on railroad routes * * * not exceeding five per centum thereof per annum.” No words Congress could have used would more clearly have expressed a permissive authority to add any percentage of the then existing compensation within the maximum he deemed proper. On the other hand, the limitation placed upon the authority thus conferred is mandatory.
Read the full summary
The Reporter’s statement of the case: The “ Postmaster General is authorized to add to the compensation paid for transportation on railroad routes * * * not exceeding five per centum thereof per annum.” No words Congress could have used would more clearly have expressed a permissive authority to add any percentage of the then existing compensation within the maximum he deemed proper. On the other hand, the limitation placed upon the authority thus conferred is mandatory. The added compensation provided should not exceed 5 per cent. The mandatory character of this limitation only accentuates…
1Opinion of the CourtCampbell, Chief Justice
In the act of March 4, 1913, 37 Stats., 791, making appropriations for the expenses of the Post Office Department for the fiscal year 1914, there was incorporated a provision relating to compensation on railroad routes “on account of the increased weight of mails resulting from” the parcel post system which had become established on January 1, 1913. Excepted from the operation of said provision, were the routes on which the usual quadrennial weighing of mails would occur before July 1, 1913, the beginning of the fiscal year 1914.
The plaintiff company operated a large number of railroad postal…
2Cases cited36 opinions
- Caminetti v. United StatesSupreme Court of the United States · 1917
- Wilkinson v. LelandSupreme Court of the United States · 1829
- United States v. FreemanSupreme Court of the United States · 1845
- Wisconsin Central Railroad v. United StatesSupreme Court of the United States · 1896
- Supervisors v. United StatesSupreme Court of the United States · 1867
31 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.
3Cited by1 opinion
- New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad v. United StatesUnited States Court of Claims · 1918