William R. Day

“ Pending this appeal Congress passed on February 28, 1920, the act known as the 'Transportation Act of 1920,' which terminated the federal control of railroads, and amended in various particulars previous acts to regulate interstate commerce. ”

“ A petition was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York by numerous interstate carriers and carriers by water against the United States and the Interstate Commerce Commission to set aside an order of the Interstate Commerce Commission dated March 14, 1919, requiring the carriers to use two certain modified bills of landing, one pertaining to domestic and the other to export transportation. ”

“ Where by an act of the parties, or a subsequent law, the existing controversy has come to an end, the case becomes moot and should be treated accordingly. However convenient it might be to have decided the question of the power of the Commission to require the carriers to comply with an order prescribing bills of lading, this court 'is not empowered to decide moot questions or abstract propositions, or to declare, for the government of future cases, principles or rules of law which cannot affect the result as to the thing in issue in the case before it. ”