The news & observer., 1904-08-28
THEREBE BUSY MEN
The Corporation Com
mission and Its Tasks.
Manifold Duties That Keep All in the
Department at Work in Looking
After Matters Handled
by 1t.

One of the daily visits of Ralelgh
reporter is to "do" the office of the
Corporation Commission, otherwise
known as the Railroad Commission.
There is always something doing
there. and so the other morning as
dropped in, seeking for news, l stop
ped to chat awhile with Mr. Fl. G..
Brown, the efficient clerk to the Com
mission. Said 1:
Mr. Brown, when I come to this
office l always find you and every
body busy l have never found you
idle What is the nature of the work
And / would like for you also to tell
me OF the powers of the Commits
sion as given in the act creating it?''
Get your pencil and notebook, Mr..
Reporter, SIT down a minute and |
will tell you," was the reply. 1 did SO
and here is what Mr.. Brown told me:
The Commission is a court of
record invested with judicial and ad-
ministrative powers, with general su-
pervsion over all railroad, telegraph,
telephone, street railway, steamboat
canal, Water-WorkS, and all otnef
companies exercising the right OF emil
nent domain. 1t is authorized 10 near
and decide complaints; to fix ana re-
wise tariffs of railroads and all other
transportation companies; to prevent
unjust discrimination in the trans
portation of freight and passengers;
acting as arbitrators, to hear and
adjust differences between railroad
companies with their consent, the
award being final; to examine books
and papers of railroad companies; to
require the filing of all tariffs and
tn
annual reports of their operations and
such other reports as may be deemed
necessary; to make rules to prevent
the giving or receiving of rebates; to
make rules relative to Interchange
of traffic between connecting car
riers; to investigate cause of acci-
dents; to require the erection of de-
pot accommodations; to require re-
pairs deemed necessary upon any
railroad or any addition to or change
of station or station houses; to make
rules as to traffic, delivery of freight,
demurrage, placing of cars, storage,
handling of freight and baggage; to
require the construction of side
tracks under certain conditions; to
require street railways to use vesti-
bule fronts and tenders on their cars.
There were three hundred and
ninety complaints filed with the Com
mission last year, consisting of claims
for overcharges in freight, demurrage,
lost freight, petitions for depots, sid
ings, etc, etc. The majority of these
complaints began by the receipt OF
an Informal letter of complaint from
the aggrieved party, then necessarily
there was a voluminous lot of CORE
spondence in order to get all the in
formation necessary to the settlement
of the claim or complaint. Shippers
have found that by applying to this
office they can be advised of the pro-
per freight rates and of the rules
governing the transportation of
freight to and from all points, and
they are taking advantage of the op-
portunity. Our record shows that
there were 1920 letters written and
mailed from the office This does not
include circulars, circular letters and
reports mailed. The testimony of
all the witnesses examined in the hear
ing of cases was taken down by the
stenographer of the Office and is of
record in the proceedings. There
were 900,0 600 words of testimony
taken in cases heard.
COPIES of all freight and passenger
tariffs issued by the railroad COM