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Fair Labor Standards Act Is Upheld

1941

In United States v. Darby Lumber Co., the U.S. Supreme Court rules to uphold the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, which restricts the interstate shipment of goods produced by manufacturers that fail to meet the minimum wage and maximum working hours set by the law. Darby Lumber Co. is fined for hiring employees under the wage limit and refuses to pay the fine on the grounds that the law is unconstitutional under the precedent set by Hammer v. Dagenhart and Carter v. Carter Coal Co., in which the Court ruled that production is separate from commerce. Reversing the precedent, the Court maintains that the production of goods to be sold between states is effectively interstate commerce, and is therefore within the authority of Congress.