Index: Interstate Commerce Commission "Tap Line Case" (1911-1912)  
     
  Source: Decisions of the Interstate Commerce Commission, 23 I.C.C. 277, 23 I.C.C. 549, and in Decisions of the United States Supreme Court, 234 U.S. 1.  
     
 

Summary: The "Tap Line Case" was a Supreme Court case that answered the question of whether a sawmill that operates its own private railroad should be allowed a division of rates on their outgoing lumber. The court looked at the specifics of over 100 companies, in each case deciding if the chartered railroad demonstrated the movement of passengers and freight beyond the mere shuttling of employees and wood products of the parent company. The published decision included over 100 descriptive summaries of individual railroads in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi.

 
 
 
 
     
  Company Summaries  
 
Alabama Central R.R. (AL) Malvern & Freeo Valley Ry. (AR)
Angelina & Neches River R.R. (TX) Mangham & Northeastern Ry. (LA)
Antoine Valley Railroad (AR) Manila & Southwestern Ry. (AR)
Arkansas & Gulf R.R. (AR & LA) Mansfield Ry. & Transportation Co. (LA)
Arkansas Eastern R.R. (AR) Memphis, Dallas & Gulf R.R. (AR)
Arkansas Southeastern R.R. (AR) Mill Creek & Little River Ry. (LA)
Bearden & Ouachita River R.R. (AR) Mississippi Valley Ry. (MS)
Beaumont & Saratoga Transportation Co. (TX) Mississippi, Arkansas & Western Ry.
Beirne & Clear Lake R.R. (AR) Missouri & Louisiana R.R. (LA & MO)
Bernice & Northwestern Ry. (LA) Monroe & Southwestern Ry. (LA)
Black Bayou R.R. (LA & TX) Moscow, Camden & San Augustine Ry. (TX)
Blytheville Burdette & Mississippi River Ry. (AR) Nacogdoches & Southeastern R.R. (TX)
Blytheville Leachville & Arkansas Southern R.R. (AR) Natchez, Ball & Shreveport Ry. (LA)
Bodcaw Valley Ry. (LA) Natchez, Columbia & Mobile R.R. (MS)
Brookings & Peach Orchard R.R. (AR) Natchez, Urania & Ruston Ry. (LA)
Butler County R.R. (MO) New Orleans, Natalbany & Natchez Ry. (LA)
Caddo & Choctaw R.R. (AR) North Louisiana & Gulf R.R. (LA)
Caro Northern Ry. (TX) Ouachita & Northwestern R.R. (LA)
Central Railway Of Arkansas. (AR) Ouachita Valley Ry. (AR)
Crittenden R.R. (AR) Paragould & Memphis Ry. (MO)
Crossett Ry. (AR) Peach River & Gulf R.R. (TX)
De Queen & Eastern R.R. (AR) Poplar Bluff & Dan River Ry. (MO)
Deering Southwestern Ry. (MO) Prescott & Northwestern R.R. (AR)
Doniphan, Kensett & Searcy Ry. (AR) Red River & Gulf R.R. (LA)
Dorcheat Valley R.R. (LA) Red River & Rocky Mount Ry. (LA)
El Dorado & Wesson Ry. (AR) Riverside & Gulf Railway (TX)
Enterprise Railway (LA) Roosevelt & Western R.R. (LA)
Fernwood & Gulf R.R. (MS) Sabine & Northern R.R. (TX)
Fordyce & Princeton R.R. (AR) Saginaw & Oachita River R.R. (AR)
Fourche River Valley & Indian Territory Ry. (AR) Saline Bayou Ry. (AR)
Freeo Valley R.R. (LA) Saline River Ry. (AR)
Galveston, Beaumont & Northeastern Ry. (TX) Salem, Winona & Southern R.R. (MO)
Gideon & North Island R.R. (MO) Shreveport, Houston & Gulf R.R. (TX)
Glenwood, Hot Springs & Western Railroad (AR) Sibley, Lake Bisteneau & Southern Ry. (LA)
Gould Southwestern Ry. (AR) Texas Southeastern R.R. (TX)
Griffin, Magnolia & Western Ry. (AR) Thornton & Alexandria Ry. (AR)
Groveton, Lufkin & Northern Ry. (TX) Timpson & Henderson Ry. (TX)
Gulf & Sabine River R.R. (LA) Tioga & Southeastern Ry. (LA)
Homan & Southeastern Ry. (AR) Tremont & Gulf Ry. (LA)
Jefferson & Northwestern Ry. (TX) Trinity Valley & Northern Ry. (TX)
Kentwood & Eastern Ry. (LA) Trinity Valley Southern R.R. (TX)
Kentwood, Greensburg & Southwestern R.R. (LA) Ultima Thule, Arkadelphia & Mississippi Railroad (AR)
Lake Charles Ry. (LA) Victoria, Fisher & Western R.R. (LA)
L'anguille River Ry. (AR) Warren & Ouachita Valley Ry. (AR)
Liberty-White R.R. (MS) Warren, Johnsville & Saline River R.R. (AR)
Little Rock, Maumelle & Western R.R. (AR) Washington & Choctaw Ry. (AL)
Little Rock, Sheridan & Saline River Ry. (AR) Wilmar & Saline Valley R.R. (AR)
Louisiana & Pacific Ry. (LA) Wilson Northern Ry. (AR)
Louisiana & Pine Bluff Ry. (AR & LA) Woodworth & Louisiana Central Ry.(LA)
Louisiana Central R.R. (LA) Zwolle & Eastern Ry. (LA)
Louisiana Ry.(LA)  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  Tap Line Case Table of Contents  
     
 

Part 1, Decided April 23, 1912
1. Introduction and summary of opinions.
2. Discriminations resulting from allowances.
3. What is a tap line? Tap lines generally described.
4. General principle controlling the controversy.
5. Each case must stand on its own facts.
6. The log movement to the mill.
7. Use of passes by tap-line officers.
8. The individual cases described.
9. Cases.
10. Supplemental report.

Part 2, Decided May 14, 1912
1. Supplemental Report of the Commission.
2. Cases.
3. Irregular practices of tap lines.
4. General comments.

 
     
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Text and images were digitized and proofread from the original source documents by Murry Hammond. Contact Murry for all corrections, additions, and contributions of new material.