OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUBnN 

&orable John D. Reed, Commlssloner 

Rureau of Labor Ststlstlos 

Austin, Texas 

War 8lrt opLnlon Ho. o-4ow 

Rag Artlole 6379, R. C. S., 

ir enforceable against 

company operatbg la 

interstate oomerce. 

Your request for an oplnlon of thla department reads: 

"?&ease advlre me vhether or not Article 

6379,, Revised Civil 0trtutes, is applloable 

to r'rallroad oompany operating In Interstate 

oomwroe in order that we JUST take proper actloa on ..a matter nov pendlag before thlr De- 

_ partmnt.” 

Artlole 6379, Revised Civil 8tatutes:of Texas, provides1 

'The air brhkes and air brake attaohment 

on rati trcrin In thls State mirt.bo lnspeoted 

by e competent luapeotor beforr sooh train 

leaves lta dlvlU$n teminal. Thle article 

shall not apply to tram roada eng8ged ln haullng logs to eav aille, nor to rallmads under 

forty ailes in length.,'.Any oorpomtlon or 

receFve~ vho operates OP causes to be operated 

an? suoh train vithout uoh insp otlon shall 

fopfelt & PbJ to the %I tate Of ? ems (1, penalty 

of not lesr. then flft3 nor more than one hundred dolla&, to be recovered br suit. Each 

ogeratien dP’ any such train Without suoh inape@ilon first having been 'so made ahall,be 

a aepa*ate offense." 

The anaver to be given to the question before ue wtll 

+epend upon whether the Federal Sbfet:y Appliance Act, dealing with 
Eonorsble John D. Reed; Page 2 . 

#afew deviues f'or railroed .mlhg rtook in inter8trte comeroe 

provider for larpeetiona eoveawd bg Artlale 6379, rupr4. If 

ruah 18 provided in the Feder41 Aat, the Texa8 Strtute mu8t fall 

as havlng been 8upereeded w a Federal Aaf derllng with the #am 

Southern Rallv6T Co. v. Rrllro4d Comlrnfon of Xndluu, 

~8%. 439 35 8. Ct. 304 59 L. Ed 661 The reoond quertfon 

to be dlrpo8ei of 18 vhether'or not th; Aot'ln que8tlon 1s 4 

burden oa lnter8tate oomeroe. 

We have amefull~ examined the Federal Bafetr Applfanoe 

bet, aodifled 48 qltle 45, 73. 8. C. A., sad flnd a0 provf8lon for 

the lnspeation of the brake equipment thereln provided for. And 

hence, we do not believe the fewc# 8tstute 0411 irll wlthln the 

prohibition of the Southern Railvsr Co. v. Railroad Coaridrlon 

of Iadluu.ceae, supra. 

It has been held that t&e variour Federal Safe* Appliume Aata embodied In title 45, U. 8. C. A., are e8rgntially 

pollee regulatbns derfgaed for the purpose of rrfcigusrdlng emplormr 'ixnd psr#enge~r from injury 4nd de4th. U. 8. v. Philr- 

.dele~~~~ 8. RI. Go., 223 Pod. 217; Dodge v. Chlti&o @rest WestR. Co:, 

., 146.1. Y. 14; 0. 8. v.* Xntenutioml West lorthem 

9 Fed. (26) 142. 

It 18 our o p ia fo a that the l t8tute under oonrfder4tion 

28 ole4rl~ within the polio0 power of the State 4nd 18 l afc3raesble unlerr it mn be rsid th4t 8Uob Fegulation 18 6 burden oa 

lnter8tate oommeree. 

It vas held by the Suprem Couct of th# United Btxtei * 

in the aaae of Texsr, Qo. v. &ova, 258 P. 8. 466, 266 Fed. 577, 

thst .the State of Ueorgla asuld requln tirpeation inaludiag 

teat8 a8 to qtmlltr, as a #4i"egu4rd with reqmot to lllumlnrting 

,011 aad g48olfae uhen found within it8 border*, or uhen movlag 

in Oomwrue from Bt4te to Motel them being no legirlatfon by 

Congres8 upon the clubjeot. 

The rfaht of the State of feu York to fori?ld under 

penslties the heating of milwry p*rreage~ 04r8 in th4t State 

br cutover or iurnsoea kept la8lde the uar8 or 8urpemied therefrom evee though 8uOh oara veL?(I operated iti intirstato eomae~e 

~48 upheld b7 the United btatb8 Suprene Court in the 0480 of 

Hew York, Il. H. & 8. 8. Qo, v. People of the &ate of low York, 

17,s. ct. 418, 165 P. 8. 628. 
Eonor6ble John D. Reed, P4ge 3 

The Arksasbs Leglsl&ture hcid the right to require 4 

,&nlmm of three brakemen for freight trains of more thsn tventyfive oara operated la the State and the sum vas not 4n unoonstltutlonal regulation OS interstate eommeroe when applied to 4 

foreign oomp4n~. Chlaago, R. I. k P. Ry. Co. vs. State of Ark4n848, 31 S. Ct. 275, 219 U. 5. 453.. 

We do not believe that,the statute under oonslderrtlon 

~osmtltuter 4 burden on lnterrtrte ooneroe. It 1s our opinion 

that the mm8 18 enforoerble igain8t b oorpor4tlon operrtlng ln 

laterstate eomeroe. 

Yours very .trulP