United States v. Trans-Missouri Freight Association
| United States v. Trans-Missouri Freight Association | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Argued December 8–9, 1896 Decided March 22, 1897 | |
| Full case name | United States v. Trans-Missouri Freight Association |
| Citations | 166 U.S. 290 (more) 17 S. Ct. 540; 41 L. Ed. 1007; 1897 U.S. LEXIS 2025 |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Peckham, joined by Fuller, Harlan, Brewer, Brown |
| Dissent | White, joined by Field, Gray, Shiras |
United States v. Trans-Missouri Freight Association, 166 U.S. 290 (1897)[1], was a United States Supreme Court case holding that the Sherman Act (which was an antitrust measure that prohibited anticompetitive behavior in commerce) applied to the railroad industry, even though the U.S. Congress had enacted a comprehensive regime of regulations for that injury.
Facts
Various railroad companies had formed an organization to regulate prices charged for transportation. The federal government charged these companies with violating the Sherman Act, and the railroad companies replied that they were not in violation of the act because their organization was designed to keep prices low, not to push them higher. The companies also contended that Congress had not intended the Sherman Act to apply to them, because there were already a wide array of laws governing the railroads.
Judgment
The Supreme Court held that the Sherman Act prohibited all such combinations, irrespective of the purpose. The Court also held that no exception was stated in the Sherman Act for railroad businesses.
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See also
External links
- Full text of the decision & case resources from Justia & Northwestern-Oyez
- ^ 166 U.S. 290 (Text of the opinion on Findlaw.com)
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