Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1914-02-13
STATE BODY0,k,' S
RAILROAD PASSES
Commission Says Employees
Families May Get Them
NO RULING FOR CLERGY
Also Holds Free Rides of Policemen
and Firemen Do Not Wolfe the
Law.

Also Holds Free RideS OF PollCemef
and Firemen Do Not Wolfe the
Law.
The public service commission In
Harrisburg, Pa, ruled that railroad
companies may issue free passes 10
their officers and employees to be used
for the transportation OF the deEend-
ent members of the family o. such Of
fcers and employees.
To the ruling is added the declara-
ton that the granting Of these con-
cessions will not be regarded by the
commission as violation of the pro.
visions of the public service company
law.
1t also is ruled that the free trans
portation furnished to policemen and
firemen in the discharge of their pub
lie duties is not such free transporta-
tion as is prohibited by the provisions
of the law
The commission did not pass upon
the questions regarding reduced rates
for clergymen, nor did 1t dispose OF
several other propositions of kindred
nature concerning rates and fares.
The ruling of the commission fol.
lows:
Numerous requests have been pre-.
sented to the commission by railroad
and street railway companies and 9TH
er persons interested for an admins
trative ruling upon the question as to
whether or not the issuance of free
passes to officers and employees OF
railroad companies to be used for the
transportation Of dependent members
of the families of such officers and EN-
ployes, and whether the according Of
free transportation of common car
riers to policemen and fremen in the
discharge of their public duties, arr
violations of the act of July 6, 1913
and known as the public service com
pany law
"In this case the commission ha
concluded to rule administratively o.
the questions presented;
"First-After careful consideration
the commission Is of the opinion tha
the spirit and true intent and mean
ing of the provisions OF the public
service company law of J,.ly rs, 1919
are not such as to require the commi
sion to regard as a violation of til
law, the practice Of railroad con
panies of issuing free passes to the!
officers and employees to be used fo
the transportation of the depen !e2
members OF the families of such Off
GERS and employees, which practice ha
had the sanction of custom since tn
adoption of the pass provision of tn,
constitution of 1874 and the act o
June 15, 1874. passed to carry that
provision of the constitution into ef
feet.
"It is therefore ruled that the grant
ing without unfair discrimination by
railroad companies of free passes to
their officers and employees, to be used
for the transportation of the depend
ent members of the families of such
officers and employees, will not be re.
gardei by the commission as a viola
tion of the provisions of the law.
1.-THE commission is further of the
opinion that free transportation with.
out unfair discrimination by common
carriers, en- behalf of the common.
wealth, or on behalf of any munich
pality thereof, of policemen in the
performance of their public duties, and
similarly, free transportation, without
unfair discrimination, by common car.
riers, on behalf of any such municipal
ity, of firemen in the performance Of
their public duties, is not such free
trans portation as is prohibited by the
provisions of the public service COM
pany law, and will not be regarded by
the commission as a violation tA-re.
ofv