United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

Rainier Brewing Co. v. Great Norther Pacific S.S. Co., 259 U.S. 150 (1922)

Rainier Brewing Company v. Great

Norther Pacific Steamship Company

No. 267

Argued April 21, 1922

Decided May 15, 1922

259 U.S. 150

Syllabus

1. Under Criminal Code § 240 and the Webb-Kenyon Act, c. 90, 37 Stat. 699, a railroad company could carry intoxicating liquor into a state only when labeled as required by § 240 and by the state law. P. 259 U. S. 152.

2. Under the law of Washington (2 Remington's Codes & Stats., 1915, §§ 6262-1 to 6262-22), which allowed intoxicating liquors to be brought in only in packages each containing a strictly limited quantity and bearing a permit from the state showing origin and destination of the shipment and the name of the shipper, who must also be the ultimate consignee, and which made it the carrier's

Page 259 U. S. 151

duty to cancel the permit before delivery, a railroad company was not allowed to transport such packages in carload lots billed to a transfer company at the place of destination and deliver them to the transfer company for distribution and delivery there to the several permittees. P. 259 U. S. 154.

270 F. 94 affirmed.

Error to a judgment of the circuit court of appeals affirming a judgment rendered by the district court for the steamship company in its action to recover from plaintiff in error, as consignor, the difference between the carload and less than carload rates on a shipment of many separate packages of beer, paid by the steamship company to the Northern Pacific Railway Company, which, as connecting carrier, transported the packages into the State of Washington and delivered them to the respective consignees.