Carter v. Carter Coal Company (1900)
- Docket
- 636
- Decided
- 1900-1940-
Summary
Question: Did the Bituminous Coal Conservation Act of 1935 exceed congressional powers under the Commerce Clause? Conclusion: In a 5 to 4 decision, the Court held that the 1935 Act overstepped the bounds of congressional power. The Court ruled that "commerce" is plainly distinct from "production." Employing workers, setting wages and working hours, and mining coal were found to be part of the local process of production, separate from any trade of goods that could be regulated under the Commerce Clause. In striking down the law, Justice Sutherland argued that "[e]verything which moves in interstate commerce has had a local origin. Without local production somewhere, interstate commerce. . . would practically disappear."