The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1891-09-09
WHICH BiLLs

h4cn railroad Dill VIII the Leglsla,
ture adopt; the Berner bin or the Pope
bill? Both of these gentlemen have
introduced bills in the House OF rep
resentativcs. .be Berner bill is now
before the general Judiciary commit
tee OF the House, and the pope bill
is before the railroad committee
The railroads would rather have the
Pope bill passed. 1t is understood
that the Pope bill was drawn by
Hon. l.. F. Livingston, and Mr..
Pope, of Oglethorpe, prominent
member of the Legislature, was asked
to introduce it. The bill reads as
follows:
Whereas, The policy of this state
is to prevent monopoly and secure
the benefits of competition through
the operation of the railroad commits
sion; therefore,
Section |. Be it enacted by the
General Assembly of Georgia, That
all copies of contracts or agreements
of every nature for the control and
operation Of any railroad in this state
by such corporation other than the
company chartered to own the same,
shall be within thirty days from their
execution, or if heretofore made
within thirty days from the passage
OF this act, filed with the railroad
commission of this state by the com.
pany parting with the control or ops
Grafton.
Section 2. Be it further enacted
by the authority aforesaid, That
whenever any railroad corporation OF
this state, or doing business herein,
shall have made any contract or agree,
ment with any other corp Grafton Of this
ttate or elsewhere, which shall have
the effect or be intended to have the
effect to defeat or lessen competition
or encourage monopoly, it shall be
the duty of the railroad commission to
investigate the same, and if the same
has the effect aforesaid, 1t shall be the
duty OF said commission to render the
same imperative, by taking such ac-
ton in regard to freight and passen-
ger rates charged over such roads as
will keep the same at such Just and
reasonable figures as in the opinion OF
the commission would have prevailed
had said contract or agreement never
bees entered into, thus preserving to
the people the benefits of competition.
Sec. 3. Be it further enacted, That
in determining whether or not any con-
tract or agreement promotes m0nopo~
ly or defeats competition, said COM
mission shall have evidence as to the
operation of said contract, or agree
ment, and its effects upon increasing
or lowering freight and passenger
rates, both in and out of this state for
passenger and freight transported
herein, and shall consider what con-
petition it defeats and lessons and
what competition it promotes, if any,
or is intended to defeat or lessen or
promote, both in and out OF this sta tes
so that the final effect of such cons
tracts or agree nents can be determinr
ed, and such contracts as tend to il
crease said rates and defeat more COM
petition than they create shall be held
to those violative OF the constitution
of this state and as those specified in
the sections of THE act. The decision
Of said commission shall be final.
Sec. 4. Be it further enacted by the
authority aforesaid, That this act
shall not be construed to prevent any
person who is otherwise entitled to
bring suit ON account OF any such UNI
lawful contract or agreement from
still doing do, and in the trial of the
same the court shall consider matters
and be governed by the same rules of
construction in determining whether
such contract or agreement is in vio-
lation of SAID construction as is pro-
vided 10 preceding sections, to be con-
sidered by the commission.
Sec. B. Be it further enacted by the
authority aforesaid, That if any rail-
road company located in this state
shall violate any of the rules and reg
ulations prescribed by the railroad
commission of this state or interstate
commission under the provisions OF
this act, and shall fail within thirty
days after notice OF such violation
from said commission to make full
and complete compensation tor the
wrong done as directed by said com>
mission shall, for each offense, incur
penalty of not less than So, 900, nor
more than $40, 900.
Section 6 repeats conflicting laws.
l have fine, beautiful and cheap line