Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-03-11

AolC IjSo Noo Sieohcy 7oWo SCoio OIu ndI I'll
81.
THE NEW RAILROAD Law.
AN OFFICIAL COPY OF THE MASON
RAILROAD BILL.
We give below for the information of our
readers the new railroad law adopted in adj
dition to the present railroad law of Vir-
glnla, save some fourteen sections of the
old law which are repealed as being made
useless 10y the new. 1t goes into effect on
.june LIST:
A bill to further regulate and control COM
mon carriers doing business in this State,
and further defining the duties OF the rail-
road commissioner relating thereto.
LONG AND SHORT HAUL-GREATER COMPENsA-
TIoN FOR A SHORTER THAN FOR A LONGER
DISTANCE FORBIDDEN.
1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly
Of Virginia, That it shall be unlawful for
any common carrier doing business in this
state to charge OF receive any greater compen-
sation in the aggregate for the transportation
of passengers, or of like kind of property I'M
der substantially similar circumstances and
conditions, for shorter than for longer
distance over the same line in the same direc-
rection, the shorter being included within the
longer distance. But this act shall not be
construed as authorizing any common carrier
to charge and receive as great compen sation
for a shorter as for longer distance; provid-
ed however, that upon application to the
railroad commissioner such common carrier
may, in special cases, after Investigation by
the railroad commissioner, be authorized to
charge less for longer than for shor-
ter distances for the transportation of passen-
gers or property, and the commissioner may
from time to time prescribe the extent to
which such designated common carrier may
be relieved from the operation of this act.
SPECIAL RATEs-REBATEs-DRAw
JUST DISCRIMINATION PROHIBITED.
2. If any common carrier subject to the
provisions of this act shall, directly or indi
rectly, by any special rate, rebate, drawback,
or other device, charge, demand, collect, or
receive from any person or persons greater
or less compensation for any service rendered
OF to be rendered in the transportation of
passengers Oh property, subject to the provis-
ions of this act, than it charges, demands,
collects, OF receives from any other person OF
persons for doing for him OF them like and
contemporaneous service in the transportation
of a like kind of traffic under substantially
similar circumstances and conditions, such
common carrier shall be deemed guilty of I'M
just discrimination. which is hereby prohibi-
ted and declared to be unlawful.
UNDUE OR UNREASONABLE PREFERENCES PRO-
-HIBITED.
8. 1t shall be unlawful for any common
carrier subject to the provisions of this act to
make OF to give any undue or unreasonable
preference OF advantage to any particular
person, company, firm, corporation, OF local
ity, or any particular description of traffic, in
any respect whatsoever. OF Or to subject any
particular person, company, firm, corporation
OF locality, OF any particular description OF
Traffic, to any undue or unreasonable PREM.
dice OF disadvantage in any respect whatever.
INTERCHANGE OF TRAFFIC.
4. All common carriers subject to the pro-
visions Of this act shall, according to their
respective powers, and with due regard to the
exlgencies of their other traffic, afford all rea
sonable, proper, and equal facilities for the
interchange Of traffic between their respective
lines, and for receiving, forwarding, and de-
livering of passengers and property to and
from their several lines and those connecting
Herewith. and shall not discriminate in their
rates and charges between such connecting
lines; but this shall not be construed as re-
quirlng any such common carrier to tablish
OF maintain unremunerative train service, OF
to give the use of its track OF terminal facili-
tiles to another carrier engaged in like
business.
SCHEDULE OF RATES TO BE PRINTED AND
MADE PUBLIC.
5. Every common carrier subject to the pro-
visions of this act shall print and keep open
to public inspection schedules showing the
rates and fares and charges for the transport
tation Of passengers and property which any
such common carrier has established and
which are in force at the time upon its route.
The schedules printed as aforesaid by any
such common carrier shall plainly state the
places upon its route between which property
and passengers will be carried, and shall
contain the classification of freight in force,
and shall also state sci arately the terminal
charges, and any rules OF regulations which
in any wise change. affect, or determine any
part, OF the aggregate of such aforesaid rates
and fares and charges. Such schedules shall
be plainly printed in large type, and copies
for the use of the public shall be posted in
two public and conspicuous places in every
depot, station, OF Office Of such carrier where
passengers OF freight respectively are received
for transportation, in such form that they
shall be accessible to the public and can be
conveniently inspected.
ADVANCE IN RATES, TEN DAYS NOTICE; RE-
DUCTIoN IN RATES, THREE DAYS
NOTICE.
No advance shall be made in the rates and
fares and charges which have been establish
ed and published as aforesaid by any common
carrier in compliance with the requirements
of this section, except after ten days public
notice, which shall plainly states the changes
proposed to be made in the schedule then in
force, and the time when the increased rates
and fares and charges will go into effect; and
the proposed changes shall be shown by
printing new schedules, or shall be plainly
indicated upon the schedules in force at the
time, and kept open to public inspection.
Reductions in such published rates, fares, OF
charges shall only be made after three days
previous public notice, to be given in the
same manner that notice of an advance in
rates must be given.
NO VARIATIONS FROM PUBLISHED RATES.
And when any such common carrier shall
have established and published its rates and
fares and charges, in compliance with the
provisions of this section. it shall be unlaw-
full for such common carrier to charge, de-
mand. collect, OF receive from any person or
persons a greater or less compensation for
the transportation of passengers CT property,
or for any services in connection Herewith,
than is specified in such published schedule
of rates and fares and charges as may at the
time be in force