El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-07-19
AZGJLb 4 TIN
railroads HI
LEIhS
The Railroad Commission
Has Power to Force Any
thing the People Need.
SERVICE IN STATE
is MUCH IMPROVED

a has the most active railroad com
L \ mission Of any state in the union
It was created more than 20 years ago
at a time when many of the railroads
IN this state were in the hands of re-
ceivers- The roads have Prospered
under the Supervision Of the railroad
commission and there are today Two
railroad systems in Texas IN receiver
ship. Their financial endorsements
were due to outside causes
Since the creation OF the Texas rail-
road commission, the railroad mileage
has increased from 5000 to more than
5000 miles.
The average stock and bonded in
oebtedness of the Texas railroads has
been reduced about $4,000 per mile
since the stock and bond law Of this
state went INTO effect In every other
state the stPck and bonded indebted
ness per mile Of railroads has in
creased during this period
Has Arbitrary Powers.
The Texasi railroad commission has
wide and arbitrary powers 1t IS
charged with the duty Of not only en-
forcing the railroad commission law
but there are a number of other stat
utes which It is authorized to enforce
The commission is given general au-
thority undef the law to correct abuses
of railroads. Under this head many
things can be done towards Improving
the services A0f the roads and benefit
ting the shipping and travelling public
If the peOpId of a community want a
railroad TO erect a new passenger or
freight depot or improve the existing
depot building, they make known their
desire by petitioning the commission.
The railroad is summoned to appear
and show c9use why the petition
should not be granted. There have
been many chses Of this kind during
the past feHf years and in most in
stances the commission ordered that
new depot buildings be erected
Carl Stop All Trains.
The commhssio has the power to re-
Quire railroads to stop their passen-
ger trains at any station that that
body may see fit No statiOn-not
even a flagf statiOn-can be abandoned
without the consent of the commits
sion. Bulletins Of the time of arrival
and departure Of AL trains must be
posted at stations where an agent IS
maintained
The commission has the power, and
has had secession to exercise it as TO
several railroads. 70 require that pas
senger trains shall be run on schedule
time. As q result Of the strict en-
forcementt Of this order there is COM
Paratively little lateness Of passenger
trains in Texas
Decides Railroad Controversies.
The commission decides all cOntro-
versies between railroads as to whether
crossing} Of each others track shall be
at grads, overhead or beneath BEFORE
the commission became the arbitrator
IN SUCH matters every new railroad
that va rs built had a long and oft
times bitter contest with the railroad
whose Track 1t sought to build across
Wherever the contuor of the country
will admit the commission requires
that gRade crossings be obviated- This
lessons the danger of train operation
slIf is generally favored by the rail-
roads.
The commission also has the power
to require that track connections be
made between railroads at junction
points in order to provide for the IN
terchange Of traffic at such places
InterlOcking safety devices have been
installed at all Of the principal cross
ings in the state. This was done upon
order of the commission
Fixes Switch Charges.
The switching charges Of all rail-
roads in cities and towns are liked
BIZ the commission Rules and regu-
lations issued by the commission also
govern railroads in the shipment and
IniIling-in- transit of wheat and in the
compression of cotton Cotton must De
compressed at the first compress on
the line OF road or connecting line
nearest to the point of origin of the
shipment The establishment and en-
.fOrcement Of this rule has caused
wide distribution of the cotton com
presses over the state and means
big saving in freight rates to the
shippers
The commission has jurisdiction over
all private car hness in the matter OF
saying whether such cars shall be
operated in the state, and the estab-
lishme1t of rules and regulations and
rates for the observance Of the lines
in question
The action Of the commission in
practically shifting the private car
lines out of Texas, without legislative
enactment directly for that purpose, is
an example Of its far-reaching powers
in matters affecting railroads and
shippers
Must Approve Leases.
All lease and trackage contracts en-
tered into between railroads must first
be formally approved by the commits
sion in order to make them legal IN
the eyes of the law. II was through
the exercise Of this power that the
Rock Island was prevented from OBJ
tanning an outlet to the port Of Gal
weston. That road had entered into
contract to lease the Houston & Texas
Central: the Houston East & West
Texas: the Galveston, Houston &
Northern and the Dallas-Sabine diFis-
ion of the Texas & New Orleans rail-
roads These are all Southern Pac1flc
properties. The commission refused 10
approve the lease contracts and the
deal had to be abandoned The ground
for refusing to approve these lease
contracts was that two of the lines
were parallel and competing.
Not only must ali tease anu u dSnde5G
contracts Of railroads be approved by
the commission but all equipment con-
tracts must also be filed with the com
mission.
Fixes Express Rates
The commission makes free but
careful use of its authority to fix and
enforce express rates and to make
rules and regulations governing the
operation of express companies IN
Texas. The express rates have been
greatly reduced by order of the com
mission and the service to the pubic
improved.
Every railroad and express com
pany operating in Texas is required to
make monthly and annual reports to
the commission These reports en-
brace the fullest detail of the business
of the respective companies. If addl-
tionaf Information concerning the bus
mess OF a railroad or express company
is desired at any time the commission
delegates its auditor or rate experts
TO make the necessary examination Of
the books and records
There IS no such thing as cOmpeti-
ton between Texas railroads under
the operation of the railroad commits
sion except in the matter Of service
The commission fixes all Of the rates