Illinois Cent. R. v. N. T. Wax Grocery Co.
Illinois Cent. R. v. N. T. Wax Grocery Co.
Opinion of the Court
Suit was -filed against appellee by the Railroad Company for freight and demurrage charges, and from a judgment for the defendant this appeal is taken.
Shipment was made by one Hector from Granger, Oregon,- of six hundred bags of mixed vetch seed to appellee. A uniform order-notify bill of lading was issued by the agent of the Southern Pacific Railroad at Albany, Oregon. The proposed route was via Memphis to Canton, Mississippi, at which a stop-over for partial unloading was indicated, thence to final destination at Amory, Mississippi.
The shipment was, however, shipped from Memphis direct to Amory over the Frisco Railroad, arriving about
The agent of the Frisco Railroad at Amory then told the appellee that if he would take up the bill of lading and pay the freight charges shown thereon he would arrange for shipment of that part of the shipment destined for Canton. This was done, but in the meantime demurrage charges had accrued at Amory amounting to $37.40. Freight charges to Canton and federal tax raised the total charges made against appellant by the connecting carriers to $94.56, the amount sued for.
The summary of appellee’s contentions is that he had paid all that the bill of lading called for and that what was done was only that originally contemplated by it. It argues that he did not authorize the shipment to Canton as a new contract and received no new bill of lading therefor, and that what appellant did was in an effort to correct an error for which he was not responsible. On its face this contention has much of reason to commend it.
We are, however, brought face to face with the provisions of the Interstate Commerce Act, Section 6(7), 49 U. S. C. A. Section 6(7), which forbids that any carrier shall: ‘ ‘ charge or demand or collect or receive a greater or less or different compensation for such transportation of passengers or property, or for any service in connection therewith, between the points named in such tariffs' than the rates, fares, and charges which are specified in the tariff filed and in effect at the time; . . ”
The foregoing provision is designed to prevent any discrimination against or in favor of any consignee. It is now well established by ample authority that it is immaterial whether a mistake in tariff charges is made or rates misquoted. There is no estoppel against the carrier. Alabama Great Southern R. Co. v. F. A.
It is also immaterial on the issue of liability that the original bill of lading erroneously provided stop-over for unloading at Canton. It was, as stated, and order-notify form, under which partial unloading may not be allowed. Reference to these conditions is made to certain tariffs on file with the Interstate Commerce Commission, identified without question as Item 670SFA Tariff 236P, and I. C. C. No. 913.
Regardléss of the understanding or misunderstanding, the ultimate responsibility rests upon the carrier to charge and the consignee to pay the charges for freight and allied services. This obligation rests not alone on contract but is imposed by law and is compounded of the bill of lading, tariffs, schedules and regulations of the Interstate Commerce Commission. Mobile & O. R. Co. v. Jensen ,162 Miss. 741, 139 So. 840; Alabama Great Southern R. Co. v. F. A. Hulett & Son, supra; Louisville & N. R. Company v. Maxwell, 237 U. S. 94, 97, 35 S. Ct. 494, 59 L. Ed. 853, 855, L. R. A. 1915E, 655. Indeed, the carrier is subject to a penalty for a failure to collect the prescribed demurrage and freight charges. Davis v. Timmonsville Oil Company, supra. This view does not need the support of the incident that the appellant was not a party to the understanding under which appellee took up the bill of lading and accepted the shipment.
We- have proceeded upon an assumption that the transportation from Amory to Canton was part of an interstate shipment. We now examine this phase. The original bill of lading contemplated a shipment to Canton
We are of the opinion that it was error for the trial court to direct judgment for appellee. The peremptory instruction requested by the appellant to direct a verdict in its favor for $91.56 ought to have been granted.
Reversed and judgment here for appellant.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.