United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

Live Oak Water Users' Assn. v. Railroad Comm'n, 269 U.S. 354 (1926)

Live Oak Water Users' Association v.

Railroad Commission of California

No. 73

Argued October 22, 1925

Decided January 4, 1926

269 U.S. 354

Syllabus

1. A rate-fixing order made by a commission acting under a state statute is, for jurisdictional purposes in applying Jud.Code § 237, as amended Sept. 6, 1916, an act of the legislature. P. 269 U. S. 356.

2. A judgment of a state supreme court sustaining such an order held not reviewable here by writ of error under Jud.Code § 237, as amended Sept. 6, 1916, where the constitutionality of the order itself was not definitely drawn in question before the state court

Page 269 U. S. 355

prior to a petition for rehearing which was denied without more. P. 269 U. S. 357.

3. In a case where the state court has decided a local question adequate to support its judgment without regard to federal questions, the better practice in this Court (generally, at least) is to dismiss the writ rather than affirm the judgment. P. 269 U. S. 359.

Writ of error to 192 Cal.192 dismissed.

Error to a Judgment of the Supreme Court of California sustaining upon review an order of the state Railroad Commission which increased the rates demandable by a public service corporation for supplying water for irrigation purposes. Plaintiffs in error were consumers of the water, and claimed that the order conflicted with their rights under standing contracts with the company.