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Boston Tow Boat Co. v. United States
Citations: 321 U.S. 632; 64 S. Ct. 776; 88 L. Ed. 975; 1944 U.S. LEXIS 1238Docket: 385
Court: Supreme Court of the United States; April 3, 1944; Federal Supreme Court; Federal Appellate Court
Boston Tow Boat Company, the appellant, intervened in proceedings before the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) concerning a decision against the Cornell Steamboat Company. Boston asserted that it provided similar tugboat services in Boston harbor and argued that it was aggrieved by the ICC's ruling, which classified tugboats as carriers subject to the Interstate Commerce Act. However, Boston did not demonstrate a financial interest in Cornell or competition with it, nor did it show that its interests would be adversely affected by the ICC's decision against Cornell, apart from the concern that it might set a precedent regarding the jurisdiction of tugboats. Boston's brief indicated that it had a separate suit pending in Massachusetts to challenge the ICC's order that classified it under the Act, and it sought to reserve the right to argue that its towing operations did not qualify it as a carrier. The Court ruled that Boston's interest in the Cornell case was insufficient for it to pursue a separate appeal, as it lacked an independent right that would be violated by the decision against Cornell. Consequently, the appeal was dismissed.