Swift and Company v. United States (1900)
- Docket
- 103
- Decided
- 1900-1940-
Summary
Question: Did Congress have the authority to regulate the meat trust under the Sherman Anti-Trust Act? Conclusion: In a unanimous decision, the Court held that congressional power under the Commerce Clause justified regulations of the “beef trust.” Writing for the majority, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. broadened the meaning of “interstate” commerce to include actions that were part of the “stream of commerce” where the stream was clearly interstate in character. In this case, the stream ran from farm to retail store and crossed many state lines. The federal government’s victory in this case encouraged it to pursue other antitrust actions, and Congress followed by passing the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act in 1906.