United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

United States v. St. Louis, S.F. & Texas Ry. Co., 270 U.S. 1 (1926)

United States v. St. Louis, San Francisco

& Texas Railway Company

Nos. 91 and 92

Argued November 16, 1925

Decided January 18, 1926

270 U.S. 1

Syllabus

1. Transportation Act, 1920, amending par. 3, § 16, of the Interstate Commerce Act, provides:

"All actions at law by carriers subject to this Act for recovery of their charges, or any part thereof, shall be begun within three years from the time the cause of action accrues and not after."

Held not applicable retroactively to causes of action existing at the date of the Transportation Act. P 270 U. S. 3.

2. The Act of June 7, 1924, which further amended par. 3, § 16, of the Interstate Commerce Act, among other things by adding that its provisions

"shall extend to and embrace cases in which the cause of action has heretofore accrued as well as cases in which the cause of action may hereafter accrue,"

was not intended to defeat claims on which suits duly brought were then pending, or in which judgment had already been entered. Id.

59 Ct.Cls. 322 affirmed.

Page 270 U. S. 2

Appeals from judgments recovered in the Court of Claims by two railroads for transportation service rendered to the government.