Walling v. Friend

• Decision Date: 16 October 1945
• Docket Number: No. 320.,320.
• Citation: 63 F. Supp. 143
• Court: U.S. District Court — Western District of Missouri
• Parties: WALLING, Adm'r of Wage and Hour Division, U. S. Department of Labor, v. FRIEND et al.

63 F. Supp. 143

WALLING, Adm'r of Wage and Hour Division, U. S. Department of Labor, v. FRIEND et al.

No. 320.

District Court, W. D. Missouri, S. W. D.

October 16, 1945.

Walter R. Fly, of Kansas City, Mo., Samuel P. McChesney, of St. Louis, Mo., and Joseph I. Nachman, of Washington, D. C., for plaintiff.

Gene Frost and Jim Poynor, both of Joplin, Mo., for defendants.

REEVES, District Judge.

This is an action by the Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division, United States Department of Labor, to enjoin the defendants from alleged violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 U.S.C.A. § 201 et seq. It is charged substantially that, being engaged in interstate commerce, records have not been kept as required by the act, and employees have been required to work overtime for which no compensation has been awarded.

There is no controversy on the facts of the case. The defendants are engaged as brokers or selling agents for shipments of livestock at the stockyards at Joplin, Missouri. They have been so engaged for a number of years and certain employees mentioned in the evidence worked for the defendants at said yards over a period of several years immediately preceding the filing of this suit. The defendants acted as consignees as well as agents for shippers of livestock to the said yards. Sales were then made by them to purchasers, being mainly the large packers. Such livestock was then shipped for the most part to points outside the State of Missouri. Only a small percentage of the livestock handled by the defendants on consignment were shipped to them from points outside the State of Missouri.

Defendants have very few employees. According to the stipulation of facts, two of the employees have worked overtime for periods ranging from 15 to 20 weeks of each year. According to the evidence, however, one of said employees has not in fact worked overtime for these defendants. Admittedly, no records have been kept as required by the Wage and Hour Law relating to employment in interstate commerce. Said employees kept records of sales made by defendants and advised the seller of the prices obtained, the commissions charged, and then made settlement with the principal. In like manner, they kept records of the purchases and acquainted the purchaser with the amounts due and payments were made through them.

The question for decision upon the above facts is whether the said employees were and are engaged in interstate commerce or the production of goods for interstate commerce. If not so engaged, then plaintiff is not entitled to the relief sought, and, if so engaged, he is.

1. An examination of the statute, Section 207 Title 29 U.S.C.A. discloses that the prohibition of the statute is against employers who shall "employ any of his employees who is engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce — * * * (3) for a workweek longer than forty hours * * *" etc.

Admittedly, the employees under consideration had worked for a period entitling them to the benefit of the 40 hour week if they were subject to the act. The reference to commerce, of course, means interstate commerce. The said employees had nothing to do with the handling of the livestock or its production or its transfer from one state to another. Such livestock was brought into the yards at Joplin, where the defendants acted as sales agents for the shippers or consignors. For this purpose the livestock came to rest. The defendants had nothing to do with the shipment of livestock into the yards nor were they interested or concerned with its disposal after the sales were consummated. The employees merely aided in the transfer of title and made book entries relating to the consideration. Unless the act of Congress specifically made such transactions subject to the law, then quite clearly the work done by these employees had nothing directly to do with interstate commerce.

2. The act was construed in Kirschbaum Co. v. Walling, 316 U.S. 517, loc.cit. 522 and 523, 62 S.Ct. 1116, 86 L.Ed. 1638. The court, at page 522 of the opinion in 316 U.S., at page 1120 of 62 S.Ct., 86 L.Ed. 1638, adverted to the history of the legislation and said:

"As passed by the House, the bill applied to employers `engaged in commerce in any industry affecting commerce.' * * * But the bill recommended by the conference applied only to employees `engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce.'"

It was further pointed out by the court that in intermediate stages of the bill it was sought to introduce regulations appertaining to intrastate production that might be competitive with interstate commerce. Such a provision was rejected so that the purpose of Congress became obvious. It intended to exclude all employment save only such as might be involved directly in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce. It excluded those employed in industries affecting commerce only.

3. Able counsel for the administrator place reliance upon the case of Stafford v. Wallace, 258 U.S. 495, 42 S.Ct. 397, 66 L. Ed. 735, 23 A.L.R. 229. This is an exhaustive opinion, and, at...