Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

*. i- ‘i . . -. Ronorable 6. R. HeRame OVERRULED By s-165 Direotor. Rate Division Railroad Commf88ion of Texas Auatln, Texas Dear Sir: Opinion Ro. O-2954 R4t Whether ctarrisr4 hauling for th4 Federal Uovermnent muat charge the rates iixed by the RaUroad Commission. In your letter of Deoember 13, 1940, you 4n4los4 oopy of au opinion written to you on April 13, 1938,by Aseiatant Attorney Oermral Albert Q. Wdker, in afCeat holding that the Federal Govemment may oontraot for.oarrlar 44mio44 to b4 performed tor it, without obrmvfng therates approved by the Railroad Commiaelon of Texata, where tha ooatvact is made pursuant to advertisement for bide. You now requ4et wr opinion as to whether oarrlern of intrartet4 freight for the Fsd4ral f3ovsrmgnt mu4t demand urd rsaeivo the ohrrg44 approved by th4 Rails-oad Cooaaiasfon,OF wh4th4r rush carriera may disregard therater and oharges approved by the Railroad ~omaleeion in making oontraotrr for the transportation of goods for the Federal Oovermeat. Yours letter lndioates that you are partiaularly conaerned with the movement of freight for the RuBed States Army and we will oonflne our opinion to the tramportation of good8 for the mUitary. Thie la not meant to imply that the rule is oth4rwise a8 to other arms or departments of the Federal riovernment $ merely that it may not be. For lnstanae, it is at laast possible that aom auoh arms or departments may be instruoted to comply with etate regulations M- latfng to rates and fares. At least, 14 would not wish to attempt to give au answer applloable in all inatanoes of transportation for ths Federal (‘rovernment. Among other thinga, Seation 8 of Article 1, Constitution of tha United Statea, provides that the Congress shall have the power to “provide for the oonnnondefense and general welf4r4 of the United States; . . . To raise and support ermies . . .; To provide aud main n navy; . . . To make all laws whioh shall be neoassary and proper for carryhg into 4l8eUtiOn the fOr8gOiq pOwera, . . .* ,- Section 5, Title 41, U.$.C.A., reade: . . Honorable C. R. YoRamebr page 2, O-2954 -- "I 5. Advertisements for proposals for purchases ahd aontraotsfor auppliee or aervioea for departamnta of Ooverumsnt. Exoept as otherwise provld4d by law all pureha8ea and oontraota for auppli48 or 44rrrio48 in any of th4 d4partmenta pi th4 Oov4maunt and purohaa48 or fndiar,auppll4a, exo4pt for personal aervioea, shall bo made by adv4rtiaing u auffioient tim4 pr4vioualy for pro- poacla r4spectzng tho aam4, ??h4n the pub310 exl- gewiea do not requirs the lxamediata delivery of th4 arPlol48, or g14rfox-m4n44of t.hO 84rvio4. 'When immediate delivery or perfoqance is rtrquiredby the public exigency, tha artio&ea or ~4~7104 rvqulr4d mayhe prooured by open purchase or contaaet, at the plao4a and in the avmn4r in which suoh articles arc, uaually bought and sold, or auoh ler vlo sa engag4di between lndividualar" 84ation 1374, Title 30, U.S.C.A., rsadar "1 1374. Transportation of Army 4%or4a by private parties. All traneportatlon of atoms by prIvateparties for th4 Amy ahallbe dono by oontraot , after 'i&14 legal advartia~- r4nt+ 4xo4pt ln oaa4a'ot 4mD 4a4y. uhlah mt b4 at ono4 r4port4U to th4 S4orrtaay of"sfar for hia approval." /--- S4otion 561, Tit;l4 34, U.S.C.A., provides that "411 proviaiono, olothiug, hup, and other xeterlala of every name and neture, for t&4 ~44 of th4 Xavy, Audi+&;hetranaportabion thtizvmf,when ~perait, ahall, axeopt,am othoxw%.a4pruvided :r~~;tia~rill. bra Irr, ,be furnished by oontraot, by the low4at bld(@r,e and thsn,,gian dir44tiona to be tollowed by th4 seorstary of the.llavyin,advortla- ing for bids. '5.0far aa your questlor is bonoern4d w4 think it la immaterial whether~the aontraot is made after advertiamsnt ror bids or otherwlae, Tha Congress has enjoined upon the officer4 of the Faderal Oovernmtnt the duty to 144ke auoh oontraota, by statutes plainly evid4noing an in*4nt for auoh offlo4ra to obtain th4 moat eaonomiaal trenaportatlon joaalbl4. l’bo ahargo to ba mad8 for th4 s4mi4e is a amjor fw,tor in auoh oontraota for oarrler servitor To allow t+e Stnto to fix the rates land ahargaa for the transportation a4rvio4 involved in th44o aoutraota would ,,beto permit it to amk4 ths oontract in large pert. Such would oonatltute a dir4ot int4rfer4no4 with th4 B4deral Oovsmusent in its discharge of oonstitutional funations. Th4 principles .annouucedin such oases as Louw4in va. ,Moody,12 S.W. (26) 9598 Johnson vs. Mary16mdi 254 U.S. 51, s. ct. 16; Yotaalf VS. Mitchell, 269 U.S. 514, 0 L. Ed. 3 4, ,PahhandleOil Co. va. Miss., 277 U.S. 218, 72 L. Ed. 's, p 57, are applloable. In our opinion, oarriera may olontrectwith the Fed4ral Oovernment for the transportation of intrantate freight for th4 military with- out re ard to the ratea and fares ap c ved~b s is ,true whether the oontraoi 88 ad And th!i g%Ki~r~dsc%E!%~BQigOP* ment for bida or not. Approved Yours very truly, Opinion ORL:OO/cg AT'i'O8NE:Y CSBtRAL OF PizXAS APPHOVED DEC. 18, 1940 Committee, Yy (flennR. Lewis 5g EWE, chrn Attorney &moral of Texas Assistant