United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

H. P. Hood & Sons, Inc. v. Du Mond, 336 U.S. 525 (1949)

H. P. Hood & Sons, Inc. v. Du Mond

No. 92

Argued December 13-14, 1948

Decided April 4, 1949

336 U.S. 525

Syllabus

Petitioner, a distributor of milk in Massachusetts operating three receiving plants licensed under the Agriculture & Markets Law of New York, applied to the New York Commissioner for a license for an additional plant. The application was denied on the grounds that the proposed expansion of petitioner's facilities would reduce the supply of milk for local markets and would result in destructive competition in a market already adequately served.

Held: The New York law, so applied, violates the Commerce Clause of the Federal Constitution. Pp. 336 U. S. 526-545.

1. A State may not promote its own local economic advantages by curtailing the volume of interstate commerce. Pp. 336 U. S. 530-539.

2. The fact that petitioner is licensed to operate its existing plants without condition or limitation as to the quantities of milk it may purchase does not justify denial of the license for an additional plant. Pp. 336 U. S. 539-540.

3. The State's denial of the license on the grounds assigned is not consistent with nor authorized by the Federal Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act. Pp. 540-545.

297 N.Y. 209, 78 N.E.2d 476, reversed.

Petitioner's application for an extension of its license under the New York Agriculture & Markets Law was denied by the State Commissioner, whose action was affirmed by the New York Court of Appeals over objections to its validity under the Commerce Clause of the Federal Constitution. 297 N.Y. 209, 78 N.E.2d 476. This Court granted certiorari. 335 U.S. 808. Reversed, p. 336 U. S. 545.

Page 336 U. S. 526