Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-03-29
LAWS OF WISCONSIN.
Passed at the Session Of 1856.

Passed at the Session Of 1856.
Where a superfiuous word is found in the en-
rolled act it is printed in the text, but in tac and
enclosed in parenthesis, (thus.) Where a word is
found necessary to sustain the sense of the context
or where one word has been obviously mistaken for
another the word supposed to be proper is sup
Piled but in brackets, THUS.
ALI acts published in the state paper that have the
word 'copy," those selected by the Secretary of
State as acts of general interest,"" as provided IN
Sections 81 and 80, Chapter 6. of the Revised s at
utes. All publishers of weekly newspapers in the
state, who shall publish in their respective newspa
pers the acts thus designated, win be allowed sixty
dollars for such entire publication.
PETER DOYLE, Secretary of State.
Published March /. 1851
CHAPTER 81.
AN ACT to amend chapter two hundred and sew
enty. three (273l, of the laws of 1874, entitled
an act relating to railroads, express, aud tele
graph companies in the state of Wisconsin, =
ana to repeal other sections and acts named
therein.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented
In senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Within ten days after the passage and
publication OF this act, the governor, BY ana with
the &C nss MT of the senate, shall appoint rail
road commissioner, who stall hold his office TOR
the term & two year, from the fifteenth day OF Feb
ruary: and until bis successor is appointed and
qualified Every two years thereafter, the govern
or by and with the advite and consent OF the SEN
ate, shall appoint railroad commissioner, who
shall hold his office for the term OF two ears and
until his shall be appointed and qualified,
and the nomination of railroad commissioners
shall hereafter be sent to the senate by the gov
srnor during the month of January lmmediatel ~
preceding the beginning of such comm issioner'e
term of Office The governor sh all have power to
remove such comm issioner, and appoint another
to I'LL the ECys at any time, in his discretion.
No person owning any bonds, stock. or property
in any abroad company, or who is in the employ
ment Of, or in any way or manner pecunar1y in
teres ed in any railroad corporation shall be so ap
pointed.
Section @ The railroad commissioner shall in .
Quire into any neglect or violation of the laws of
this state by any railroad corporation doing busl-
ness there n, or by tne officers, agents, or en-
ployes thereof and shall, also, from time to time,
carefully examine and inspect the condition of
each railroad in the state, ard of its equipment,
and the manner of its conduct and management
with relation to the public safety and
he shall also exsnlins and ascertain the pecuniary
condition and the manner of financial management
of each and every railroad corporation doing bust
ness in this 8. ate.
Section g. To enable said commissioner 10 make
the report and return required by section twelve
%12) of the act OF which this is amendatory, the
poration i'll the state shall annually make to the
railroad commits sioner, in the month of October,
such returns and in the form he may prescribe,
will afford the information required for theirsaid
official report. Such returns shall be verified by the
oath of the officer making them, and any railroad
corporation whose return shall not be made, as
herein prescribed within the month of October,
shall be liable to penalty OF one hundred dollars
OO0) for each and every day after the thirty-frst
day of October that such return will be wlful1y
delayed or refused.
demand or receive from any person, company or
corporation, for the transportation of persons or
property, a greater sum than it shall at the same
time charge, demand or receive from any o her
person corporation. for like service from the
same place; and road corporation shall charge
or receive larger sum per car load from one per
son than any other. shipping from the same place;
but this last provision shall not apply to shipments
from connecting points.
Section s. No railroad corporation shall charge;
demand or receive from any person, company or
corporation, an unreasonable price for the trans,
portation of persons or property, or for the hand
ling storage of any freight, for the Of its
cars or for any privilege or service afforded by it
In the transaction of it's business railroad cor
poration.
Section 6. It shall be the duty Of any railroad
corporation, when within their power SO to do,
and upon reasonable notice, to furnish suita ole
cars to any and all persons who may apply there
for, the transportation of any and all usual
kinds of freight and to receive and transport such
freight with all reasonable dispatch, and to pro-
vide and keep suitable facilities for the receivne
and handling the same at any depot on the line of
it's road.
Section z. Any railroad corporation who shall
violate any OF the provisions of this act as to
tortion unjust discrimination, the provisions
heI ecf establishing rates. shall forfeit for each
and every such offeEse to the company, person Or
actual damage sustained, together with the costs
of suit, to be recovered in civil action therefor,
and I'll prosecutions shall be made at the expense
of the state, and it shall be the duty of said rail-
road commissioner receiving complaint in
writing, from any citizen Of this state stating that
any railroad corporation has violated any OF the
provisions of this act, and SPEC tying the acts
complained of, to investigate such alleged VIC la
ton, and if On such examination he shall find
such complaint well founded, he may, in his dis
cretion, report the facts to the attorney general
Shslih a he inf oe ha at
general to prosecute said complaint at the ex-
pense of the state for the benefit Of the party ag-
Rived.
Section 6. No railroad corporation shall con-
sohdate the stock, property, or franchise of such
corporation With, lease purchase the works or
franchises or. Ill any way control any other rail-
road corporation owning or having under its con-
troll parallel or competing line; nor shall any
officer of such railr, ad corporation, act as the
officer of any other railroad corporation, owning
or having the control OF parallel competing
lines and the question whether such railroads are
parallel or competing lines shall, whe u demanded
by the complainant be decided by jury as in
other civil issues; gtUided that the provisions of
this section shall not apply to any contracts nov
existing, where one corporation has become re-
sponsible for the liabilities of another either BY
advances heretofore made, by the guarantee of
bonds previous TO the passage of this aot; shall
it apply to any railroad corporation which, prior
to the passage of this act shall haves been author
lied to purchase or hold stock in any other rail-
road corporation.
Section 9. No president, director, officer, agent
or employe of any railroad or transportation COM
pany, shall be interested directly or indirectly in
the furnishing of material or supplies to such
company, or in the business of TRANSFORMATION as
common carrier of freights passengers over the
lines owl ed leased, controlled, or operated by
such company.
Section 10. In the construction of this act the
phrase railroad shall be construed to include all
railroads and railways operated by steam and
whether operated by the corporation owning
them, or by other corporations or otherwise
The phrase IS railroad corporation" shall lie con-
strued to mean the corpo1 alton which constructs
maintains, operates railroad operated by steam
power.
S. ction IL. The Chicago. Milwaukee and St.
Paul Railway Company shall file with the railroad
commissioner before the day when this act shall
take effect the regular published schedule of their
tariff rates for the transportation Of persons and
property which WIS in force on their railroads on
lhe 18th day Of June, a D., 1872, duly verified by
the oath of the general freight agent of said
pany thereto attached, and that company, and the
Western Union Railroad Company, and The
Chicago and Northwestern Railway Company, shall
sation for the transportation of persons and
spending distances. This provision shall also ap-
ply to such lines Of railroads as have beer built
and put into operation by either of said companies
and operated under lease or otherwise, since the
date above mentioned; proU,ded, that the Chicago,
Milwaukee and st. Paul Railway Company, and
the Western Unicn Railroad Company, and the
Chicago and Northwestern Railway Company shall
sell at all ticket stations, their respective lines