**Gerald C.**  **Rum**

**iittorney chmtn?al**  **"**

Honorable R. Judeon Balah 

### CountyAttorney Rqlor county Seymour, Texas


### Opinion Ao.O-3816 Ret k!hether

the demrlbed 8exWcee 

### furnished

by a pubUa **utility** oorporation rubjeot the aorporatlon 

### to the provisiona of ArtMEg 

### 7828a, V.A.C.J.
Your letter of July 

### 24, 3.941, **matter that**  **a** public utility corporation furnLrhln8 eleetrlc.povervithla your. County ala0 operate8 an ioe plant end vbolerales an4 retells ice* that in the eelline of ice the amporation 

### haa acmuaitted note celoulnted to prevent or hinder legitinate competl~loa ln the ice buslnere. Pertnining thereto, you ssk our opinion upan the **question** stated 

### by mu a# follovrr

3s till8

pwtlcrular 8erri~0, fllrtieh&byapublle **utlllty,of au&**  

### a **natawe u**  **to** acme **vlthl~~** 

### thepmwUlon8 of ~rtiole 

### 7428a,Retired Civil Statutes, Seation I & XI; and **ii 80,**  **do the**  #t8 Of **t&l*** **oanpai4** UonfititUt% **a dir**  **wlmination** vhlah **I#** prohlblted **by the**  **Statute? ”** 

-- Seation 1 and Se&Ion 2 05 hrtiele 742& (A&r 1935, 44th Lsgielature, pa&e 118, 

### Chnpter44) read a8 iollovar

"Seotion 1. That monopolle8 are aontrmy to the puband it &all hereafter laHmorsbleR. JudeonBalah, page 2

"se0t1on 

### 2. It eh4ll hereafter b8 tmlmful for 

### e~lg pa-eon, pemaerehlp, 

### mimmy, or aorpmtlaa, dc4aeatic orforeign, engaged in MY such4 mblio UtllltY buelnesa In 

### more th4n one mmlalpellty or county lu thle 

### State, to a fnvcir

of in 

### r&se, prluee, or kind of eoreleee pereon, p4rtnerehip, ampany, **oorporation** or **munlelpallt~** tar the purpoee of preYeS&R o? hindaxl- 

### ?Lng **ocdnpotitlon** 

### in auahbualmss or 1nJurl.q 4 ocmpet:toz-." (l!38@4el8

ourrr)
It la m4IlUoet, In ow oplnlon, th4t thle le.* v4e enacted to 

### regulate publlqutility oorpor4tlonewhen -Rod in rendering pub110 **utlUt7 eerrieee.**  **The** 

### exproeelone and/or alnll4.%?

;yubllc utllltloe"

### and “in ewh bueIneee" 

### dmonetrste thle intent.

It fe our opinion, emr8ooer, that the iae barlneee 

### cmnot be held to 

### b8 B pubUa utlllty vithin the purviw OP this act* 

### In ffulf Rtatee 

### tItlllt7 Cat+ay ve. State, )Q &W.&d) 

### 1018, 1021, 1.022,(vrlt M’u88d) it We widt

"lie thewfors a&mlude that, in 

### abeeme of 8 leglalatlve emuftment, the eemu$4atum and l 4le of loa to the public 3n Texae 18 not 4 pubUo **utllltg buainoe(r** **u a**  

### aurtber0r l.av.

“In 

### deoiding the 

### rbo+e qwrtlon, ve are 

### not lmlding 

### thst a legie&tlve en4otm0nt dealming loe to be l publlo **utilfty, OF**  th4t **the iae**  **barSnare fr**  airwted **at& fbe**  publlo 

### intweet aad rubjeet 

### to eom ahMotor of p\&uo regulation,**vould** 

### not be upheldby the oourte. RQ‘3uoh legiel4tion bar been emoted lo Texas, and *t.t puortlan 

### ’ need not 

### be deteralwd illth.t.8 04e8.' The a480 lnvolwd 8 

### P ubll6 utlllty 0OrpoPatlon engaged in M a&snovledged pub io ,4dditlon,In the 1Oe bueim3ee. 

### utility bueinsee and, 3.q 

## The l Ap pelluI

o ontended

tb4t leehad gmm to be a aameodltyneededmad usedby the pub110 80 generally that it had beaome 4 publle nee0eelty, and the* 

### it8burlneee of 

### e8enufWturZ.n e in Fwke vaa thaw&we 4 pub and eelllng iae to Uu **publla ’**  0 utility buef.n86e, 4nd entitled to claealflcMlon undo the Franahiee 'tex AH 4e 4 $Ubllo utlllty aorporation'. . ."

### ,.’

**X3 cor?clude** **likevise in**  **the ocmatructfon**  **or ’** 

Article 742%. It le our oplnicm that a corporation till be aubjact **to its**  spoclfla provlelone only in **relation to**  its bue:lnees

vhlch, as a nattor of 3.m in Texae, le a public utllfty bualmee.

**We have**  **protemaittad** nny dleaurtslon of other etatutee of Texas &lob might be applloeble to tae situation you have deuclrlbed.We 

### mnetrue your repwet to be vfth reftmime to the statute diecueeed, and to ft. only.

APPPRGVTD **AUG**7, **1941 (Signed)**  **GRcMER**

**SlZUSRS FIRST**  

### AssIaTAHTATTGRrn cE%maAL