Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-10-29
RAILROAD COMM lSSI0NS,
A REVIEW OF RAILROAD LEGISLATION
IN OTHER STATES.
HOW many states have Commissions In
tcresting Abstract of the Commission
Laws OF Massachusetts,, New Hamp-
shire and New York.


which Is likely soon to begin in the Legis-
lature over the subject Of = state railroad
commission promises to be an Interesting
one. That such II commission will be II
fact il this State before the present SEES
sion ends seems TO be settled beyond a
doubt The question yet to be settled is
what sort of commission is most desr
able; and, possibly. some statistics con
cernlng railroad commissions in other
States may be of interest to the readers of
the FREE Press among whose number are
the larger part Of the members of the pres
ent Legislature.
State railroad commissions, which
are to-day II recognized factor in
railroad administration, have come
into existence and prominence within
the last ten or fifteen years, although
there were so-called commissions at an
earlier period. The first State to provide
a commission was New Hampshire, which
established one in 1874, while one of the
most recently established is that of New
York in lSS2. Vermont and Rhode Island
have simply a railroad commissioner
Maine and Connecticut have commits
oiOu but one whose duties, like those Of
the commissioners IN the first two named
ton OF railway equipment aud service.
Nineteen state, have "A railroad commas
sion: and six, q railroad commissioner.
In all of the former states. with the cN-
ccption of Maine and Connecticut, the
commissions are given general sinner.
vision of the affairs and management of
the railroads, with power to recommend
reforms ana, IN most states, to enforce
their recommendations in a more or less
direct manner.
The Massachusetts commission, estab-
hshcd in 1859, l. the most conspicuous eN-
ample OF an advisory commission, de
pending upon Investigation, the Justice of
It's conclusion, and the force Of pub
lie opinion for the enforcement
OF It's decisions. rms commission deter
mines against unjust Determinations in
rates, holds the railroads to the state laws
in regard to rates, oversees the physical
condition of the roads, the ordering of
precautions the regulation of crossings.
the examination into the causes and pre-
Nentlon of accidents and the terms upon
which connecting roads shall take traffic
from each other; and upon these matters
mas positive power and gives decisions
which court would enforce 1t also in
vestigates all complaints of grievance,
against a 1Oad made by 30 citizens of "A
town, and hold, public hearings on the
question at issue They are given all the
authority needed to obtain full Informal
ton as 10 the actual operations of rail
roads. The distinguishing features of the
Massachusetts system are its simplicity
and the really limited arbitrary power of
the commissioners. They are forced to
sustain their position in every proceeding
by making out Il case that will stand the
test OF public criticism, carry conviction
with 1t and, if necessary, induce the
courts to support them. The railroad
managers in Massachusetts have preferred
to run their roads by the advise of the
, commissioners, who have been bOrouu N