The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1910-12-29
BOARD WANTS
MORE POWER
RAILROAD COMMISSIONERS FILE
THEIR REPORT.
NEW LAWS ARE ASKED FOR
COVERING CONTROL OF EXPRESS
AND TELEPHONE COMPANIES.

AND TELEPHONE COMPANIES.
Now that the people in general are
so deeply interested in proposed re-
auctions of express and passenger and
freight rates, and with the biennial
meeting of the legislature only one
week away, the residents of South Da-
kota will be interested in the nature
of recommendations which have just
been made to Gov. Wesley by the state
board of railroad commissioners in ref
erence to express and freight and
passenger rates, says a Sioux Falls
dispatch.
The efforts Of the railroad commits
sioners to make a complete schedule
of rates for the transportation of ex-
press freight by the different express
companies doing business in South Da.
kota were futile, for the reason that in
the actions instituted against the board
by the several express companies in
the United States court for South Da-
kota, it was held that the board of
railroad commissioners had no author
ity under the statute to make a COM
plete schedule of express rates, and
that the statute did not apply to the
Wells-Fargo Express company. In it's
recommendations to the governor the
board says:
at is desirable that full and com
plete jurisdiction be conferred upon
the board of railroad commissioners to
regulate express companies and make
schedules of rates for them, and in
order that this may be accomplished
this board recommends that the en-
eral oct regulating common carriers
sections 431-479 Of the political code
be amended SO as to include express
companies within its provisions"
At the present time the board of
railroad commi jsioners has no author
ity to make joint rates except upon
complaint of some person interested
in the joint rates, and then only is the
board authorized to make individual
joint rates, and not a general order or
schedule fixing joint rates for the en-
tire state. Neither has the board au-
thority to make joint rates of its W
motion.
II 10 fhnrafnrn rannpnn M nIad hu %ha
board in its communication to the gov.
ernor that the statute be so amended
as to confer upon the board authority
to make a complete schedule of Joint
rates or a general order fixing joint
rates for the entire state upon it's
W initiative and without complaint
of any person.
AT the present time schedules or
tariffs Of rates are required to be
filed with the changes therein by filing
the amended tariff. Under the provi-
siOns of the interstate commerce act
all schedules or tariffs of rates must
be filed in the commissions office for
a period of o less han thirty days
before the same go into effect, and
under the interstate commerce act, as
now amended by the act of June 10,
1910, it is authorized, pending investi-
cation to suspend rates thus filed. In
Its recommendation to the governor
in this connection the state board of
railroad commissioners says:
at is important to the people of this
state that the statutes with reference
to the filing Of schedules or tariffs
ments Of the interstate comerce act,
and that all schedules or tariffs OF
rates which in any manner affect the
rates in South Dakota should be filed
at least thirty days before the same
go into effect, in order that they might
be examined for the purpose of as
c%ertaining whether or not steps should
be taken to investigate into the rea-
sonableress Of the proposed rates be-
fore they were permitted to become
operative.
1T is therefore recommended by the
board that the statute be so amended
as to require the filing of schedules
or tariffs Of rates, rules and regula-
lions at least thirty days before the
date they go into effect, and that au-
thority be conferred upon the board
of railroad commissioners similar to
that contained in the June IS, 1910.
amendment to section Is of the inter-
state commerce act, authorizing the
board to suspend rates pending an in.
vestigation as I the reasonableness
thereof"