The United States v. Morton Salt Co., 1949, was a landmark case in which the Supreme Court ruled that federal agencies have broad investigative powers to enforce regulatory statutes. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) had issued an order requiring Morton Salt Company to provide information about its sales practices and discounts given to different customers, suspecting it of violating anti-discrimination laws. The company refused, arguing that the FTC lacked authority because there was no pending proceeding or litigation against them. However, the Supreme Court upheld the FTC's right to investigate potential violations even without specific charges or complaints being filed first. This decision significantly expanded federal agencies' ability to conduct investigations and gather evidence for enforcing regulations.

In the dissenting opinion for United States v. Morton Salt Co., Justice Jackson disagreed with the majority's decision to allow a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation into Morton Salt Company without specific allegations of wrongdoing. He argued that this ruling gave too much power to administrative agencies, allowing them to conduct investigations based on mere suspicion or curiosity rather than concrete evidence of illegal activity. This could potentially lead to harassment and abuse of power by these agencies, infringing upon businesses' rights and freedoms. Furthermore, he contended that such broad investigative powers were not intended by Congress when they established the FTC Act; instead, it was meant for investigating known violations rather than fishing expeditions for potential ones. Therefore, he believed that there should be some sort of check on agency authority in order to prevent misuse and protect individual liberties.