During World War II, it was a common practice of many railroad companies to issue wharfage charges on customers when transporting goods from railroad cars and onto piers, or vice versa. At some point during the war, the United States government (referred to by the Court in its decision as the "Government") took over operating control of a number of piers in Norfolk, Virginia. Instead of using the railroad companies' wharfage services, the Government transferred its cargo to and from piers using its own materials. The Government, not requiring any railroad services apart from transporting the goods to and from the site, requested that it be granted an allowance for the wharfage fees, effectively asking for a refund of fees already paid before the request was made. The railroads refused to make this allowance, prompting the Government to request that the railroads then perform the services themselves, a request which the railroads also denied.