Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-04-06
THE. RAILWAY. BILL.
The Much Debated Bill Passed
the Sanate Without
Dissenting Vote.
Synopsis Of the Same rs Passed.
Lengthy and Interesting
Document.

Lengthy and Interesting.
Document.
The following is synopsis of house bill
No. 373, which has finally passed both
branches OF the Iowa Legislature after days
of discussions
Section provides that this oct shall apply to
the transportation of passengers and property
sleeping car companies or freight lines, or any
common carrier engaged i'll this state in the
transportation OF persons or property. It shall
also apply TO shipments of property made from
any point with the state to any other point
within the state, whether the transportation
of the same shall be wholly within the state or
states All charges for any services rendered III
transporting, receiving, delivering storage or
handling of said property shnll be reasonable
and Just, and no special rates, rebates, draw
back. or other devices shall be used to permit
them to receive from one person greater COM
pensntion than from another. Discrimination
is prohibited, yet it is not to be construed as
prohibiting less rate per 100 pounds in tile
carlond than rs charged for the same kind of
freight in less than carload lots: 1t is further
provided that it shall be unlawful for any com
NOR carrier to give any preference or advantage
to any particular company, firm. corporation or
locnlity, and they shall. according to their
power, offer all reasonable. proper and equal,
facilities for the interchange of traffic between
their respective lin s, provided that nothing
rier from giving preference to time of shipment
OF live stock and other perishnble property.
IT is unlawful to receive my greater conlpen-
sation in tho aggregate for the transportation of
passengers or property for the shorter than the
longer distance over the same line in the s me
direction, the shorter being included within the
longer distance. This shall not be construed Us
comforting authority upon any common carrier
to receive us great compensation for the shorter
as the longer distance. Pooling i'll all forms is
prohibited
a copy of the schedule of rates when used
either by the railroad commission common
carrier shall be kept in every freight Office and
passenger station where they can be conven-
iently inspected by the public A failure to pub
lish and keep conveniently these schedules
shall make u corporation linble to penaltyo OF
$500 for each dny's failure and Il writ Of man
dnmus may be applied for by the commissioners
to compel such compliance 1t is made unlaw-
full for any common carrier to enter into COM
bination that by change of schedules they may
prevent Il continuous shipment of property from
point of origin to destination.
In case of q common carrier emitting to do
anything required in this act that he shall do
the person injured thereby shall be able to
cover three times the amount of damage sus-
tanned, provided that demand IN writing shall
be made for the money damages sustained
before suit is brought and they may make COM
plant to the board of commissioners, or bring
suit in their own behalf i'll any court of compe-
have right to pursue both of said remedies ut
the same time.
Any director or officer of any common carrier
who shall willingly suffer or permit anything to
be done which is prohibited in this act shall be
deemed guilty of a misdelneanor and upon con-
viction liable to II punishment not to exceed
5000 and not less than $500.
It shall be the duty of the commissioners and
they shall have full power to inquire into the
management of the business of all common
carriers subject to the provisions of this act,
and in Of complaint if q common carrier
within the time specified by the commission
shnil make reparation for the injury alleged to
have been done it shall be relieved of liability
for this particular violation OF the law. The
commission, whenever they have reason to be-
love that the lnw is being violated, shall at
once institute an inquiry i'll the same manner
and to the same effect though complaint
had been made and the report of the investiga-
tion shall be used prima fncie evidence in
all Judicial proceedings.
| Whenever any common carrier shall refuse or
neglect to obey the lawful order of the commits
sioners, it shall be the duty of said commission
ers ana lawful for any person interested to APP
! ply in summary way by petition to the dis
trict or superior courts in any county IN the
its principal office or i'll any county through
which its lines OF road passes, and said court
| shall have power to hear and cetermne tho
matter on such short notice to the common
| carries MS the court may deem reasonable, and
in case a writ of injunction shnll issue and be
disobeyed the common carrier thus disobeyins
| shall be liable to tino not exceeding $500 for
| every day after the day named.
! The board of commissioners are empowered
and directed to make for each of the railroad
| corporations doing business i'll the state a
| schedule OF reasonable maximum rates of
charges for the transportation of freight. This
schedule shall be revised from time to time.
providing that the rates shun not be fixed
higher than those which now exist and which
shall hereafter be established by law. When
| said schedule has been revised it shall be the
duty of commissioners to publish notice in some
newspaper in the city of Des Moines which shall
state the day OF taking effect of such schedule.
1t is also required that before fixing this maxi
mum schedule of rates the railroad commits
sioners shall publish notice i'll two daily papers
published in Des Moines Of the time and place
when such rates shall be fixed, and at that time
all persons interested shall have tho right and
opportunity to give information on the subject
of determining and fixing said rates This
shall be done within ninety days from the TAX
ing effect of this act
4 number of sections are devoted to the ar
ranging of methods of procedure by which the
commissioners shall be enabled to enforce their
decisions. In regard to the question of the long
and shot haul the bill is SO amended as to read:
ut shall not be deemed sufficient excuse or
justification OF such discrimination on the part
of said railroad corporation that the railway
station point at which it shall charge, collect
or receive less compensation in the aggregate
for the transportation OF such passenger or
freight or for the use or transportation OF such
car for the greater distance than for tho shorter
distance is Il point at which there exists compe-
tition with any other railroad
1t is made unlawful to charge more for trans
portation of one of freight than for the
transportation of several cars of like freight the
the charging more for the transportation OF
q ton of freight than it receives per ton for
several tons under II carload OF a like freight.
Any railroad company guilty of extostion or
making and discrimination shall upon convic
ton be fined not less than 81 900 or more than
5000 for the first offense and for each succeed
ing from 5000 to $4,000.
1t is arranged that special terms of court may
be held for the speedy trial of suits pending
against the company under the provisions OF
this act.
Railroad companies allowed to give free
or reduced rates for the United States, this state
or municipal governments or for charitable
purposes, fairs, cxpositions, or the employees of
said railroads, their families, private property
or goods for he use of such families, or the is
suance of mileage. excursion or communication
tickets. They shall also be allowed to give re-
duced rates to ministers or free carriage to
their own officers and employees and their fam
lilies dependent upon such officers or employees
for their support. Railroad commissioners and
their secretary and experts. whose services
shall be required by the commission. shall have
free transportation on all rouds of the state.
Quick Work.