Lewis Bros. Stages, Inc. v. Public Service Commission
Lewis Bros. Stages, Inc. v. Public Service Commission
Opinion of the Court
The plaintiffs seek a review of an order of the Public Service Commission. The above entitled cases were consolidated for hearing before the court and the court’s decision will apply to both cases and will be determinative as to both.
The Wycoff Company,. Incorporated, made application to the Public Service Commission of Utah for a certificate of convenience and necessity to operate as a common carrier by motor vehicle for the transportation of general commodities in' express service between all points and places in the state of Utah over established highways. Prior to the hearing Wycoff amended its application to restrict the proposed service to shipments weighing 10Q6 pounds or less.
Since February 1959, Wycoff has been operating a general commodities express service between all points in the state of Utah except between Salt Lake City and Ogden. Wycoff’s authority was restricted to the transportation of shipments weighing not more than 100 pounds and not more than 500 pounds to be carried on any one schedule. The plaintiffs in each of the cases above referred to appeared as protestants to the application of Wycoff. The hearings were conducted by an examiner appointed by the Commission, which hearings were extensive and during which numerous witnesses were called by the respective parties. At the conclusion of the hearings the examiner made findings of fact and conclusions which the Commission adopted as its own findings and conclusions and issued its order granting Wycoff’s application with á limitation of shipments of not to exceed 250 pounds on a weight basis.
A record of the transcript of the testimony of the witnesses has not been prepared. Such record was not before the Commission nor is it before this court.
It is the contention of the plaintiffs in the above mentioned cases that the evidence does not show a need for the service proposed under the Wycoff application and that the order of the Commission is not supported by the evidence and therefore arbitrary. Counsel for the various parties involved in these proceedings do not agree as to what the record of the testimony of the various witnesses shows. We are asked to review the order of the Commission not upon the facts revealed by a record of the evidence but rather upon the claims of counsel as to what the facts are. As there is no agreement among the par
. See. 54-7-16, U.C.A.1953. See also Lake Shore Motor Coach Lines v. Bennett, 8 Utah 2d 293, 333 P.2d 1061.
Concurring in Part
(concurring in part, dissenting in part).
I concur in the part of the main opinion which vacates the order of the Public Service Commission granting to Wycoff an increase from 100 pounds to 2S0 pounds on express shipments. But it is my opinion that that should be the final order in this proceeding, rather than to return it for another cumbersome and costly ride on the merry-go-round of litigation.
It appears that the Commission based its decision upon extensive memoranda of the parties setting forth abstracts of the evidence, in conjunction with the recommendation of the examiner under procedure provided by statute.
The Wycoff service, admittedly paralleling routes of established existing common carriers, was first justified and granted as to newspapers and movie films which required speedy and frequent service. Later there were added, small shipments of other items of the nature of surgical supplies; drugs and medicines, which also could be justified on the basis of need for speedy and frequent service. A limitation of SO pounds was placed on such shipments. There have been persistent and continual attempts to remove restrictions and intrude into general competition with existing common carriers. The 50-pound limitation was eventually raised to 100 pounds. The limitations mentioned could have been for no other purpose than recognition of the necessity and the propriety of keeping Wy-coff limited to small shipments requiring speedy and frequent service and thus preventing it from undue intrusion into general competition with and tending to destroy the businesses of the regular established common carriers of freight, the protestants here, and the protection of which the Commission’s order itself recognizes.
In the instant proceeding Wycoff first applied to remove the limitation entirely, then later amended it to increase the limitation to shipments up to 1000 pounds. Under the examiner procedure provided by statute, hearings were held in various parts of the State over a period of several months.
In its findings the Commission set forth a statement as to the operations of the protesting carriers. But it made no findings as to their inadequacy. On the contrary, in its conclusions it recited that “their general freight service has been adequate.” It therefore very properly rejected Wy-coff’s application to increase the weight limitation to 1000 pounds. The significant point is that this is a plain indication of the .Commission’s recognition of the rights of the protesting carriers and of the necessity of protecting them from substantial competition by Wycoff in the general carrying of freight. However, instead of a forthright denial of Wycoff’s application which would have accomplished that purpose, the Commission appears to have resorted to an expedient by increasing the limit from 100 to 250 pounds and removing the schedule limitation. By this “half-way,” or rather, "quarter-way” measure, the Commission neither afforded the plaintiff carriers the protection it seemed to recognize they should have, nor did it keep Wy-coff to the express service of small shipments which would have accomplished that purpose.
On the basis of the record presented, even the evidence emphasized and relied upon by the defendant, it is plain that the increase of 250 pounds per shipment and removal of schedule limitations effect a marked change in the character of the service heretofore allowed Wycoff of a speedy, frequent express service of small shipments to one which will constitute a very substantial intrusion into the field of general freight transportation.
. See See. 54-1-3, U.C.A.1953.
. See statements in Mulcahy v. Public Service Comm., 101 Utah 245, 117 P.2d 298; Lake Shore Motor Coach Lines, Inc., v. Bennett, 8 Utah 2d 293, 333 P. 2d 1061.
. For example, the Commission’s findings recite, that over a test period about 75 per cent of intrastate shipments of one of the protesting carriers was under 1000 p.ounds. ;
. See Sec. 54-7-16, U.C.A.1953.
. Sec. 54r-6-4, U.C.A.1953, Powers and Duties of Commission:
Reference
- Full Case Name
- LEWIS BROS. STAGES, INC., a corporation v. The PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION of Utah, and Wycoff Company, Inc., Defendants LINK TRUCKING, INC. v. The PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION of Utah, and Wycoff Company, Inc.
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published