The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-09
STATEMENTS FROM . EXPRESS COMP PAN|ES Railroad Commissions Efforts
 to Regulate Rates ROADS MUST FILE PRINTS Annual Inspection Tours on the vari- ous Lines of Railroad in the State
 Are Postponed By the
 Commission.
ROADS MUST FILE PRINTS

Montgomery May S.-(Specia,)-At a special meeting today the railroad com mission adopted an order directed to the express companies doing business in the state calling on them to file statements of receipts and disbursements in the state. list and values of property owned in the state and a report of the business of last year. This is preliminary to an ef- fort to regulate rates in the state
 An order was also issued to each rail road requiring them to file blue prints showing alignments of all lines and de- tailed statement of the buildings, bridges, and other structures owned in the state.
 It was announced that the annual in- spection would not be held at the usual time because of the press of other mat ters. A letter to this effect has been sent to the railroad officers.
 A circular was issued giving informa- tion about all the new laws as they touch the operation of railroads and the litiga- tion now going on.
 Inspection Postponed.
 The following is the letter sent out with regard to inspection:
  of otheA pressing matters, are unable to begin at the present time, their annual inspection tours on the various lines of the railroads located within the state. "The commission, individually, however, will cover a good many of the lines with in the state, and will take cognizance of the condition of the grounds. depots, etc, and the commission has had laid before it complaints relative to the failure of some lines to keep their depots and prem ises in such condition as is required by law and the commission hopes that it will not find individually any case that will call for unfavorable comment on any of the railroads. and would im- press upon the different railroads the importance of always keeping their prem ises in order and ready for inspection"
 Information Circular.
 For the information of the citizens of Alabama, and especially those actively engaged in forwarding and receiving freight. the following statement of the present conditions, as to laws regulating transportation companies in the state, IS made.
 The first session of the legislature, which adjourned early in March, passed laws upon the following subjects:
 All of the following laws and regu- lations apply to business within the state of Alabama, the legislature not having the right to make laws applying to bus mess of an interstate character:
 Senate bill 15, makes 1t unlawful for the rail lines to charge higher rates of freight than those that were available and in use on such lines on January 1, 19O7
 Senate bill 16. names the maximum rates which different railroads could charge upon a number of articles of common production and consumption.
 Passenger Fares.
 Senate bill names the maximum pas- senger fare which could be charged by any railroad of more than one hundred GOO miles in length,. as 213 cents per mile, with no single fare for less than 5 cents
 Senate bill prohibited the giving by the railroads or receiving by any person, other than specifically excepted a free pass.
 House bill 665 names the rules under which demurrage on account of the fail ure to furnish cars by the railroads or the detention of cars by the shipper, should be charged and collected recipro- caly as between the railroad and ship per.
 Senate bill describes the method of procedure by the shipper against the railroad for collection of loss or damage. on account of the railroads failure to de- liver. in sound condition and In accord with the obligations of the transportation company, goods accepted by them for transportation.
 Senate bills 43 and B crea ted a railroad commission and defined its duties and set out the general regulations required of transportation companies doing busi- ness in the state.
 Penalties Fixed.
 Senate bill IS, in addition to penalties named in other acts, above cited, names Senate bill 106 requires the railroad com mission to name regulations and require ments for the issuance of Interchangeable mileage books between the railroads in the state.
 Senate bill BIO specifics the manner in which railroads operating in the state may acquire, by condemnation, lands for depots, freight yards and team tracks. This is an outline of the special legis- lation applying to common carriers. In addition to this, some of the revenue bills name methods of arriving at the taxes and licenses required of common carriers.
 Injunction Proceedings.
 In March all the railroads in the state which exceeded one Q00) miles in length, applied to the United States district court