The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-09-15
WOULD EXTEND TERMS
BILL IN INTEREST OF RAIL-
 ROAD COMMISSIONERS.
Senate Committee Hacked an Amend ment on Measure Which Sought to Regulate the Practice
 Before Commission.

The Senate Committee on Commerce and Common Carriers has returned a fa-
 vorable report on a bill providing for the | retention in office of the present Railroad Commissioners until their terms of ap- pointment expire.
 The bill as originally introduced by
 Senator Woolf of Marengo contained one section and provided for the regulation of filing complaints before the Railroad
 Commission. In the committee a section was added to the original bill, which, among other things, provides that the
 recentiy-appointed Railroad Commission
 CTS shall remain in office until their terms of appointment expire.
 In the bill as reported, the new section Is made Section l. while the original bill begins with Section 2.
 Yesterday afternoon two efforts were
 made by Senator Blackmon of Calhoun to have the bill called up for it's third
 reading, but at both times objection was entered by Senator Hogue of Perry. The bill as reported by the committee is as follows:
 Be 1t enacted by the Legislature of Alabama, That Section 1 of act entitled
 an act to amend Chapter 9e of the Code
 of Alabama of 1896, approved February
 18th, be and the same is hereby amended so as to read as follows:
 Section 1. A commission to be known as a Railroad Commission of Alabama, consisting of a President and two asso- ciates, who shall be competent persons,
 and qualified electors of this State, Is es- tablished; their terms of office shall be four years; at the election to be held in
 this State on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, 1904 and every four years thereafter, a President of said commission shall be elected by the quail fled electors of this State. and at the election to be held in this State on the e adoxy Ar1 November, 1906, and every four years thereafter two associates, who, with the President, shall constitute said commits sion, shall be elected by the qualified elec- tors of this State. The result of said election shall be ascertained and declared by the same authority and in the same
 manner as are the results of elections for Chief Justice and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court, the persons elected | to fill said office shall hold until their successors are elected and qualified. Un- | til such positions are filled by election. | as above provided, they shall continue | to be filled as now provided by law. If | any vacancy shall occur in either of said offices. caused by death, resignation. or otherwise, the same shall be filled by ap- pointment of the Governor, the appointee holding for the balance of the unexpired | term. Provided, that no two of said Railroad Commissioners shall be elected or appointed from the same Congressional district. Provided, further, that the
 present members of the Railroad Con- l mission shall hold office for the term for | which they were appointed.
 | Sec ?. The Railroad Commission must | hear and determine all complaints made | to them in writing by any person, firm | or corporation or association of persons, l against any tariff of rates or against any particular rate or rates charged by any
 railroad for the transportation of freight | between points in this State; and upon
 such complaint being made, the commits
 sioners shall forthwith fix the time and place for hearing such complaint, and
 shall furnish the person or corporation
 operating the railroad against whose rate 1 or rates complaint is made with copy of | such complaint and with notice of the | time and place, said Railroad Commission | shall proceed to hear and determine the complaint under such rules of procedure | and other rules as they may adopt, giving | the parties in such complaint a full hear l ing in person or by attorney, and they
 shall examine such witnesses and other
 evidence as the parties shall offer. Upon
 the hearing of the matter, said Railroad Commission shall determine whether the | rates complained of are reasonable. If l they determine such rate or rates in the
 case or cases complained of and shall en- ter an order fixing and establishing the
 rate or rates to be thereafter charged in
 the case or cases complained of. the said commission may adiudge the costs of such proceedings against either party com plaining or against the railroad company
 complained of as the equities of the case
 may require. The items of cost to be | taxed in such cases shall correspond in | amount to like items allowed by law in
 cases in the Circuit Courts of this State"