United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

Pawhuska v. Pawhuska Oil Co., 250 U.S. 394 (1919)

Pawhuska v. Pawhuska Oil Company

No. 281

Argued March 25, 1919

Decided June 9, 1919

250 U.S. 394

Syllabus

As respects grants to municipalities of governmental authority -- and such is the authority to regulate the rates charged to a city and its inhabitants by a gas company -- the power of the states is not restrained by the contract clause of the Constitution. P. 250 U. S. 397.

A city contended that, at the time when it granted a franchise to a gas company to use the streets and supply gas to the city and its inhabitants, the city alone had authority to regulate the charges and service thereunder within its municipal limits, that the legislature could not transfer that authority to a state commission consistently with the state constitution, and that, in consequence, a later act of the legislature, and an order of the commission thereunder changing the service and increasing the rates, impaired the obligation of the franchise contract between the city and the company. Held that no question was presented under the contract clause affording this Court jurisdiction to review a judgment against the city by the state supreme court. P. 250 U. S. 396.

Writ of error to review 166 P. 1058 dismissed.

Page 250 U. S. 395

The case is stated in the opinion.