The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-03-28
RAILROAD LEGISLATION.
Recently Passed Laws Affecting
Rail Lines.

Recently Passed Laws Affecting
Rail Lines.
Texas is by no means the only state In
which railroads are receiving consider.
able attention at the hands Of tho law
makers. The Connecticut legislature has
passed a bill empowering the railroad
commissioners to authorize the running OF
trains at any time ON Sunday. At present
all trains are forbidden between 10 80 a.
m. and p. m.
The legislature OF Delaware has passed
general corporation act, under which il
will be as easy to secure mercantile char
ters in Delaware as Il now is in New Jer-
sey and West Virginia, and, In the opin~
ion of some, even easier. Ii appears. how
ever, that in the case OF a railroad corr
poration the persons desiring to obtain
charter must deposit with the State the
sum of $1,000 for each mile of road to be
built, the same TO be paid back as each
mile Is completed, For the electric street
roads the payment will be $500 mile.
In Michigan there has been passed
tax law requiring the property of railroad
express, telegraph aud telephone COM
panies 10 be assessed the same as other
property Under this Law the governor has
nominated three State assessors. This law
Is spoken of as a triumph for Governor
Pingree. Under Il the assessors are TO
apply TO the railroads a rate equal to tho
average of State, county and municipal
tax rates throughout the State.
In Missouri bill to make railroad fares
cents mile, which appeared TO be pros
pering, was defeated on the final vote. In
the New York legislature two bills to en-
large the powers OF the railroad commits
sioners have been defeated one OF them
required railroad mortgages TO be APP
proved by the commissioners and the other
forbade the extension OF electric street
roads without a certificate from the COM
mssioners that public convenience and
necessity warranted the extension
In North Carolina the railroad commits.
sion has been abolished and a corporation
commission has been established in its
place. This body win have supervision
also over banks, building and loan ASSOC
Citations and sleeping car companies. The
commission has the powers Of the court.
North Carolina has a separate car law,
which goes into effect June j. Il requires
separate. but equal accommodations for
the white and coored races, and applies
TO steamboat companies but not To street
railroads, nor 10 sleeping cars or through
express trains. The corporation commits
sion may extend branch and narrow gauge
| lines, In emergencies the conductor may
set apart a portion Of the car or com
/ rartment assigned 10 one race to passen-
| gers OF the other. One section requires that
/ all railroad companies furnish first and
second class passenger accommodations.
The Arizona legislature has passed a
law allowing all railroads which are ex-
empt from taxation under existing laws
to change their lines without forfeiting
any rights, provided that no terminal
point shall be changed: that no change
! shall be made that will increase the
/ length OF he road, and that no change
{ shall he made except for the purpose of
avoiding heavy grades and natural OBJ
strtictions