261
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAG
AUSTIN
Doparttioat
of Agrioulture
8trta of ‘hzar
Au&la, Texar
(kntlozan~ httmtl : 'Iyr.. 8 plaaey
,.. @A
262
Cpou will aloo plram advise whtti.ar or‘not tbo
1Yelghtadrraoa~rer ~i7lsloo 0r tm l?tategeper*snt
0r *foulture has ruponlsion of woi&tr an4 nolghing
or tk?8e occe;anlesorsratlng under tk6
lp 2lp a ent
Vaokerr an4 Etookyards Aat* the 84~ a8 In other
ocimeralal eatabllsiuiontr bemrlng in mind that mob
or the bualmm traneaato b by time aompr~irr..lr
lntra-ctatr o0."~~4roo whllo 80x0 0r tkolr tmnooctlonr
probably intolrr lntlr-@ato oa-wroe. W
In Oplnlon No. O-73 by thl# 4rQcrtzirnt~w ha14 tkat
a4 person ocgagoa in the pub!10 wdghi4.0r lfrratook r0r hire
or any peraon rho wol@x8 oattle ot llveatoak li4 lsruer,rolght
orrtlflorteror weight skeets upon whioh rellanor ir to bs plaaod
ror aoaurate wright, ar8 pub110 welgter8 wltbln tha punier or
Art. 6680 et seqa, RarUsedCltil Etatutorai Texas, an4 an
aaaor4i.viy required to oofxplpwith tb regulatory prorlslonn at
rtntutar.
tti;ss*
?iosesuue that the enp2~oyoe.r Q6sarlbed In your letter
ielgb llvertoak ior hire or srelgh‘llvestcak an4 lesue weight
oerticicater or weight &zests upon wkloh relianalr1s to ba
plaoea r o r loazrate weight, an4 tP..srelorr ara within trioda-
riaftioa of a publla weigher m1 out in our Cpfnlon Yo. O-75,
nrefrna to.
The first questionpose4 by ycu in this co.meation is
whothr or not the mployeas ot stockyards m4 llvtatock ocmlr-
rtoa aorapaaissln hxalr whloh operate WXISP the ?edsral raokora
a;l4 Stockyards Aat, and nhloh perform suoh %mlghlng smloes,
ara subjsat to tke regulatory provisions or t2e statLt.orot Texar
portalnIne to publla woighorn,
You further aek ii these oompniua are subjeotto tk8
or T~XOS portalnlng to rsighto an4 wslghlng rqulpmmt
ntrtiiteo
an4 thererore unarr the rupervlsloo 0r your depsrtzmt ln the
mnnner provided for in suoh 6totute8.
To doraonstratethe purpow, #oope and appliaatlon oi
the Paokrrr and StookJardS Aat (UfX& Tlt1.r71, we quote tha
r0uorfn8 or it0 F~VISIOMI
8ootlon 18sr
*fcr tte purgoso ot this ohapter (but not in any
wise llnltlngtlx drrlnltlon in tkr praomllng seatlcn)
263
a tnn8aotlon in respeat to any artlolo shall bo ~cn-
rider64 to be in aommerao it rush artiale 18 part ;i
that aurmnt of oomcoron usual in the llvsatook and
meat-peaking ln6uatrie8, rherrby llvs8took neat8,
moat toad products, livertook rroduotr,:dafry qroductta,
poultry, poultry produot8, or esg8, are sent from one
State with the a~etatlon that they will on4 ttrlr
tranrlt, after puroba8e, in another, including in ad-
dition to oaaeo within the above goner81 4e.8o&t:on,
all aa808 when puraha8e or ralr Is ,althor-?or rhlpmrnt
to another State, or for slaughter .of livestock withlil
th0 State an4 tho ahlpn.ontoutrldo the state ai the
produat8 rrrulting from ruoh rlaughter. hrtlalrr norually
ln 8uoh ourrent of oomerae shall not br ooa8idrr4dout
OS suoh ourrent through nrort being ha4 to any ~.ean8
OS devlao intended to re~ova traIuaction8 ia rrspot
t!~erstotram tka provisions of this aheytar. For the
purpoea 0r this 6ectloa the xcr4 Wtate' loelude
Territory, the alstrlat of Coluscbla,poasresloa of
the United St&tea, sn4 iOralgn nation.*
l%otlon 201:
Yjtookyard ownar,w *atoakyGrd sorvfaa8~w wmarket
agsnay;w nde&ler;* defined
*&on usod in thla ahaptsr -
“(a) The term *8tookyar4 cwnew mans any person
lngagetdin the buriness of aonduatiry or o>nmtlng a
rtookywd;
w(b) The ten3 fStookyar4 sarrlooaf man8 srn?oo8
or raollltirs rurnlshad tita rtookyard in oonnrotlon
with the rocolvlng, buying or selling on a oo!zmla81on
bada or othsrrisa, mrketlng, feoblng, watering,
holding, dollvery, shlpmrnt, woighlng, or ha.?dllngin
oomerom, ot llrestoakt
w(o) %'ko term barkst &@nay~ moans any person
engaged ln the busfneoa oi (1) buying or selling
in oomerae llrartoak et a rtoakyrrd on a ao~lsslon
bar18 or (g) rurnisklng stookyard _sanlorr; an4
-(a) Tkr ton 'dealer' RIcaneany FOZIOD,not 4
nzarkrt a~onoy, engagsd in the bwlne88 of buyIn@ or
264
Departrtentof 4fgrlaultura,pup 4
ulllng In oameroe llvwtook mt l rtookyard, llth sr
o nh i8 o va lo o o unt
or l tta omplo~er or l68nt of
the roador or pur&a8rr.*
-(@I when wee in 8e0ti0- a01 t0 2p, imu8w,
of thl8 ohapt.? the trra gleoa,
‘rtookyard’ ~-8 any
l8hbii8hWnt O? fi8Oilitl0-l kLlam 88 StOOk-
YRTd8, OOndUOted O? OpO?wd to? OOQpeIi8iLtiCnO? WOfit
18 4 pub110 TM?ket, OOMlStl36 OS renr, or OttW ia-
olorunr, and their appwteaaaoer, ln whloh live oattle,
rheop, mine, horser, nmler or goat8 we ?eomlvod, hold,
01:kept io? 8dO OP rhlpment i.BOc~efae. SeOtfOn8
801 t0 811 iJlO1U81VOOf thi8 OhaptS? 8hfillMt #ippltt0
l rtoakyd of rhloh iha ama no?maUy atatlablr for
hmndling livartook, aO1U8fV8 a? rum, alloy0 or
&%88a&8 Wet8 18 1*88 than tV.IltythOUIMULd8quiN fOOt.
“(b) 'IhrS.O?Oto?y Shd1 frothti&a to tim. arOW'tda,
after rwh inqul?y 48 he doam neorrsa?y, the atookyHU8
whioh oc&J* rlthln fh8 toregoingdeflnitlon, 4n4 8h811 &lvr
notio. thrreoi to the 8tOOlyard me?8 OOnOO?2Ifkb,and
give pub110 notioe thereof by pomtln6 ooplrr at 8uoh
notloo in the rtook~rd and in ruoh other -et b8 he
amy deternine. titer th. glr of 8u4h notice to the
rtookysrd owner and to the pub1 i"po8 the 8toaksw-d 8hell
naala rubjoot to th8 plwl8lonr of sclotfom 80). to SM.
iILO1UlriV8, Or this Ohapte? Until like t&OtiM 18 f&iVrn
by the Sao?mta?y that 8uoh rtookymd 110 lcul;e?oomef8 I
~itbh tha r0?0g0hg ddinition.~ ;I
Lkotlonw)cIl
‘?.
\
at ruoh etooQml$ That la UJ Btute when
tha vulg!llng or 8 8tOO'kpi?diP OO~bUOtd
br a duly
latto?liDed &epr?taont or&grnoy ot the Stat8,
th e
Soont8?t, l
UFO28 ~~liortion O? auoh dO~e?tW=t, O?
tit ?Ogi8tS? it a8 l mrkot WOnOy to ? t& O
WY& of llr~rtook noolvrd~ln 8UOh rtookyrrrd,
11c(
1' aad
U 0118Uoh ?@iIt?atiOn 8UOh dbQr?tE@nt O? ‘iiWOjr and
t il mamberr t:.e?eo@ho11
i b. aMMbl8 to alf the n-
quln~ntr of thlr ohapto?; 8nd upon tailura o? 8uoh
nwrrtkent al fi@oulturo, fags 8
d.&Wta.nt, O? 48.Or orth. mebrrr th.?.of t0 oo6ply
with th. 0rd.r. O? th8 SeOnkry uQd.t tk%8 ohrgtar
h8 18 ~uthori8md to revok. the ?e~l.t?etion ot rush
6mp a ?tJz.nt o r a g a ll0
ld ~to .nr 0?0. suo h?8roeatlonu
p?OVid.d in 8rOtiOn tl6 Of thi8 tith."
s00t1oYJ a561
*lt rhall bo the UPtJ a? mery 8tO&J.?d om.r ui$
3.otIa3tlst
~nvontlon of uafelr,dIrcrImInotor~,
or &~*ptIvr
pr.Oti0.8
*(a) Tt rhalt bo unlawful for anr rtookyati owner
M?ht l$ ellO Or?,dUlO?t0 ln(lallO ill O? U8. w Uld?,
unjurtl~ di8O?%.dMtO~, or d.oeptIvapraotlor or drrIoo
In oonaeotloowith th. reoeirlag,
or #allIn&on 8 Oammi.8loi3 ba.18 Or 0th.
watwlug, holding, d8llvrTJ, 8hipmO.t.
at 8 8tOmrd,
handling,In oOBl1Ilw.o
a(b) Whh,nove?oomplalnt 18 ande to the 880?4Ita?r
BJ ary p6?8Oa, Oy nhoarvo?the ,COO?.te?t ho8 ?U8O?l
to bolIrv* thaL 8nf +took?.?d Qmd?, Pro?kat @@not,
or deals? 18 vloletlng the pFOVi8iOn. of 8ubQlVi8lOn
(e), the mo?.tcry .fte? notion an4 full hearing met
make an ardor that he nhall o*a8* and berf8t rr0d8oon-
tIauIa#8wh rlolrtloll to the extent th.t th8 Soorettim
ii!&8 that it 40.8 O? Will Ui.t.’
‘Ph. 0.8. of BTAPFZXD V8e ViAUAClt, a88 W. S, 496, in-
Volr.4 th. oomtItutIoa.lIt of ths P.oke?.an4 Stook~,s?d8 AOt.
?h# ~uYQOS. Md 8OOp. Of th I 8 A& W.8 4.80?1b.d b;l!t?. Chid
YUrtiO. m irr there Word81
"lb Peoke?B and 8tOO~ti8 hot O? ml SO.k8 t0
?.#ulatr the burlne88 of the-paakrrr done in lnto?8t.t8
eomworo8 and forbid8 thm to on aue in Pniab, dirorir-
InaO?J or ileospt1rapnstlemr & ruoh oomm.ro.,or to
rUbjo. .ay p.?.on to W?..ro..bl. J?njUdiO. thomin,
or to 40 &w O? 8 nUrb.? of aOt8 tVOOntm1 pr10.8 OY
Dsparbmnt o? AQIoultum, 9.g. 8
88tablI~h. mOnO9OlJ In the bulin.88r * * b
"Tb8 AOt, tka?StOM, t-at8 tb8 VWiOU8 stOOk-
Id8 O? the OoUnt~ 118gnat iUtiOn.1 public Utilf-
F I.8 00 ~?Unote the tla* of c~'~~e?c.t?om.theZmnfJ.8
and ira~r of the %-oat to thr ocm~uadr8 lithe ?48t.
Xt 888um.8 that thy oonduota bU8km.8 att.ot.4 by
8 pub110 use OS a national oharuoter and rub aot to
national raylatloa. That It i8 a bu8Iacra w ithin
tha paor of rur!e$~on by lmgialatlv~aotlad a.6
ne 4180u881on.
IB pe88iEg OLL the U..tiO. Of int.?.ttt8 0W.1.?04
in thi8 08.0, M?. JUSti h pt d?.W8 tb folloriaq di8ttnO-
tionr
“COUWfll
to ?
lyp.llant OitU8 06W.8 t0 8haf that
t?&WaOtioZl8 like thorn of the oofmI88loaeon or dral-
a?8 hero a?o sot Inta?8tota oaimo?oo within the powar
Of ~Il&'O88 t0 M@kth The ohlof of three .rb lkqikIn8
vae U. 8. 1'11U. 8. lV8, and &M.r.on v.a W. S., 171 0.
8. MM. hl8.8 0.8.8 WON oon81dDMd illthe Swift 0.8.
8~14di8330.64et by thr Court .8 tOlht.1 (&h397)'.0,
again, the lfns I8 dlrtlnot betmen thlr 088. and Xop-
kin8 18. 0. 8., 171 W. S. 518. All that ~8 deolded
thsn ma tkat the Iwo1 b~alnrss of oo~&8slon mm-
Ohant 188 M t 00!2lW?OMOOll$ thr 8tDt.8, l1 W if Uhat
ths brokurs wers mploysd to 8.11 w&B aa object ct auoh
OOmeLb?o** The brckara as?. not like tlk. d~fWidfh8 bo-
ia?. u8, th.!!z..lv.8 %:a buy.?8 .nd mllorb. '7h.J0x0~
fU?nhhOd O*?Win rcOiiitif38to? t&b U108r ThO?OfO?$
thara a&ala tte OtiiBOt8of the ooabimtlc~n Of b?Ok.?r
upon thm oomeroa vra8only Indlreot and tmtwlthin
tha Aoh’*
~OIl8t?.tiIl@ onoth.? dI8tInotIen, Pr, JU8tiO. htt
qUOtO8 88 fO11oW8 tratotttr0.8. Of ROOll 180 fllillOi8,887 c.
6.5041
"The qU.8tim, I6 8hOtid b. observmd, 18 Wt with
?.898Ot to the brtblltOr t!!.pOM? Of COII&?.8.t0 ?.-
&at@ int.?8tat. oodcmarooO, but whether a port:otiW
UW8iW Of 8tate 9OW.r illVfOW Oi it8 ZhMtU?..nd Op.?-
.tIon n&et bo do.cmd to k In oontliot with thI8 m?a-
mo ualuthe?It~.”
t
267
Wpartffimt or kgrloulturo, page T
?lnall~, Nr. fustlo. Tart, oonoludosr
*As alr8aey nOtee, th. wore *oosmero.* when u8.e
in th. Aot 18 e8tin6e to b. lnterstatr aAd toreign
0onmero.. It8 pr0Vlslon8 are oarefullr d,rawAto.ap-
ply only to those praotIo68 and obstructions nhfoh”in
the judgment of Congress ar. lfk.1~ to affect lnter-
stst.~oomm.ro. prajudloiall~. Thus oonstrued and ap-
plird, we think the Aot olearly rithln:CongressloAal
Power and ralie.*
In the oase or LDGU vs. ?UURERB mm COKPANT, eaS
V. 8. 60, the Onitob Statrs Supnm. Court 0oAsld.r.d a atatut.
ot..th.Stat8 oi North Dakota, Whl0h required p~ohasers of gralA
to obtain a lloense and pay a llornss f.. and tO act uAd.r a
e8tin6e system of grading, lnsp.otloa and weighing, aAd subj.ot-
lAg,.th.prlo.8 pale and th. pmit8 made to r6gultition. The
n.Sjo?lty o? the Court, speaking through 1IEr.
Justlo. Dar, held
that the business Oi the North Dakota MSoOfatiOA lnrolred 1A
the 0~189, inoluding th. buying of the grain In North Dakota by
th. AS6ooiatioA, was lnterstato oommer0e, and thus th. North
Dakota StetUtS Was a dlraot burden OA interstate 0Ommer0e. m.
majority Opinfon announosd the prlnolpl. that .v.A when th. par-
tloular sub eot remained unr.gu1at.d bl Congress, a stat. 0aA-
AOt bUrd.A Aterstat. oO8mI6rOe in the gulso of polio. rrgulations
to protoot th. rrltar. of her propl.. We quot. as follows from
th@ -jOrity Opinion rh6relA the oar. of KerohaAts Ex0hang.w.
Uirsouri, g4S U. 8. 363, WES dlst$nguish.d&
"Nor is thr appellants’ oontentlon upheld by
the eSOfSfOA O? this 0OUl-t iA YSrohantS ExohaAg. v.
k!fSSOtUf, 848 0. 8. 365. IA that oas. this oourt
Su8talA.d the oon.titutfonalIty ot a statut. of
MiSSOWi providing that in Oft188 harIng more than
s.v.At~-tire thouaane inhabitants buildings used
for ths storagr o? grain shall b. d88EOe pub110
warohous.8; and prok&bltlng the isaw or weight
oertiffoates by other than authorized bO dad state
weighers. W. hold that the stat. st~t;f&~~~
violate the due process alauae or th
oo~eroe alaus. of the Federal COAa f Ut oA* -therm
nore, ;t was heId tbnt th. act, und.r the fact8 of
that oasr, a;* not rf.olate the WAited States Orsin
standards Aot, ag the latter did not.,r6gufate**hhihgi
aAd, for r.asoAs stat.d,~dld AOt 1IOlQt. th. United
statos Warehouse A0t. Th. sot, therm IA qu.stioA,
did not undertake to regukto the bUYlAg of grain
iA :nter8t6te c~eroe~ Aor to _l6ij a liosnee tQx
UpOn the privilege, Aor to $1~ the Pmflt Whloh oould
2ss
Department o? Agrleultar0, pagr 8
be realizee OA grain bought, 8hfpp8e SAe 80ie :A
interstate eommercw.~
fA a e:SSOAtfAg OpinfOA by Mr. hl.t$o. BraAdels, OOA-
0tUr.d iA by Mr. JUsti ROh.8 aAd Mr. Justlo. alarke, It is
sale:
Whether tie purohasu inro1t.d in thls~ sass
were intrastate or iAtOTStat8 oommeroe w. neee not
eeofee. Bsr the iaots that the sale or a purahase
18 part o? a trSAra.tloA in in~qstat.8 oomneroe doss
not preoluee applloetlon of d&t* l~pee~io~ Laws,
he8 oes~pld the rlele, Or the stats
uulssstlongrsss
re ulatlons elreotly burden laterstate oomerse. Thst
AO fthsr orthese sX8eptlOnr applies hors eppears ?nm
the essoription or the operation Q?mk e8rl aAeiState
Lsws given b&m IA the opinionq? Judge Ndon.+*+*
It is thus ...A that both thr majority aAd minority
opl~lo~s IA this oaes reoognlzed the wlldlty o? state l~spea-
tlon laws u~lass Oongress had oooupled the il.14 or unless
th. stat. law dlreotly burdeA8 interstate oomme~e. The majority
was o? the opinion that the business lnrolred was interstate
oommroe md that the North Dakota Statute dlrsotlp burdened
itr whereas,the minority 00tie poroelve 00 btlrd.AlAgof inter-
stat. oomneroe bf the etatut..
The one. a? XERQBIu(pIsXE'XANQIIvs. MISSOURI, 848 0.
9. 363, elstlngulshee by Hr. Justlor Day in the L&e oaso, supra,
l~rolred a statute 0r Ltissourlrelating to the lnspeotloA aod
welghlng or grain and deo1or.d that IA oltles o? ram0 than serentp-
rir. thOUSaAd Inhabitants all bulldiAga us.4 ror the storage or
tmAIJ?OrrfAg O? RraiA Or df??COnt 0111.SS,?Or a OOiILpSLisatfOA~
shall be eeemee pub110 warehouses; and, prohibited under severe
peAalti8s sly person, OOrpOratiOA or a.SOOfatfOn, other thaA a
duly authorized and bonded state weigher, to lssne any wslght
sertl?loate ror grain w.ighse at any ramhouse or llarator in
this state.
Yr. JustlosBraAdele in dellrerlAg the opiniono? the
lourtesolarser
“The regulationo? velghts and measures with a
view to prorenting snub and ?aollltatlng oommerolal
269
trsnsaotlons is en exorolee of the polfce power.
+ ’ l 68OtiOA 63 do.8 not violnt. the ootmero.
olauee of the OOAstftutfOA~ Th. OOAtMtiOA thF.t
it doe8 WM mSt8e b.101 Wl.ly 011th. grOUAd
that the pmhfbltloA 88 appllre to grain r8d70e
from or shipped to Folnts without the State, bur-
dens lAterst~te oommoe. It olesrly does net.
l l * But the addltlanal contention 1s aude here
that .ll stste mgul~t:oA of the welr~lag o? grain
was 8upcrsa4ce by thr :AitOe States Creln Standards
iot yqryee August 11, 191g, 139 EtsASii). Thrt
Iiot relates lxolu8lvely to the esteblls~~ent
by the Secretary of iLgrioultureof, 6teAderds of
quality cad OondftfOA~ It doesnot IA any way re-
fer to the relghlng of grain. &id psrt b of Chop-
ter 313 l l * leek88Icenlfest the purpose a? Congraas
not to supersede etote laws for the lnspeotlcA and
wel$hLng of greln but to ooopsrott with state cf-
?lolnls ohbrgee wIth the antcroenant of suoh state
laws. The SllsscurlAot Is not aupereeded by or in
oonillot with th. Federal leglsl~tlon.~
The holding IA this ease OA the
propaaltlon thertthe
aot