The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-27

rate, rebate. drawback or other device. shall charge. demand, collect, or receive from any person, firm or corporation, a greater or less compensation for any ser vice rendered or to be rendered by it, than it charges, demands, collects, ar re- ceives from any other person. firm or corporation for doing like and contern- poraneous service. su.h railroad shall be deemed guilty of unjust discrimination, which Is hereby prohibited.
 (a.) It shall also be unjust discrimin- atiCn for any such railroad to make or give any undue or unreasonable prefer son, company. firm, corporation or local ity. or to subject any particular descrip- tion of traffic to any undue or unreason- able prejudice, delay Jr disadvantage in any respect whatsoever.
 (b) Every railroad company which shall fall or refuse, under such regula- ttons as shall be prescribed by the Com mission to receive and transport without delay or discrimination, the passengers, tonnage and cars, loaded or empty, of any connecting line of railroad, and every railroad which shall under such regula- tions as may be prescribed by the Com mission. fail and refuse to transport and deliver without delay or discriminaton, or empty, destined to any point on or over the line of any connecting line of railroad shall be deemed guilty of unjust d'scrimination, provided perishable liCiSislS Ol dil hlUuS, ana i've SIOCk snail nave precedence of shipment.
 (c) It shall be unjust dscrimina tion for any railroad subject hereto to charge or receive any greater compensation in the aggregate for the transportation of like kind of property or passengers for shorter than for a longer distance over the same line; provided, that upon appli- cation to the Commission any railroad may. In special cases to prevent manifest injury. be authorized by the Commission to haV 1g-. C.. a
 distances for transporting persons and property, and the Commission shall, from time to time, prescribe the extent to which such designated railroad may be relieved from the operations of this pro- visicn; provided, that no manifest injus- uce shall be imposed upon any citizen at intermediate points. Provided. fur their. that nothing herein shah be so con strued as to prevent the Commission from making what are known as group rates on any line or lines of railroad in this State.
 fd) Any railroad company violating any provision of this section shall he deemed guilty of unjust discrimination. and shall. for each offense, pay to the State of Alabama a penalty of not less than hve hundred dollars, nor more than five thousand dollars
 te.l Nothing herein shall prevent the carriage, storage or handling of freight tree Ii or at reduced rates for the State, or for any city, county or town government, or for char ltdDle purposes, or to and from fairs and expositions for exhibition thereof. or the Tree carriage of destitute or indigent per sons or the issuance of mileage or ex cursion passenger tickets nor to prevent railroads from giving free transportation 10 ministers of religion, or free transpor- tatlon to the inmates of hospitals, cleo mosynary and charitable institutions. and to the employees of the Agricultural and Geological Departments of this State. or to peace officers of this State; and noth- ing herein shall be construed to prevent railroads from giving free transporta- tlon 10 any railroad officers. agents em- ployes. attorneys, stockholders or direc tors, not prohibited by law from receiv- Ing the same. In case any railroad sub tect to this act shall do cause to be done. or permit to be done any matter. act or thing in this chapter prohibited or de- ciared to be unlawful or shall omit to do any act, matter or thing herein re- auired to be done by 1t. such railroad shall be liable to the person or persons,