The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-12-20
ANOTHER CANDIDATE
SOON TO APPEAR
Secretary 10 Governor Alexander For
ward May BE Opposed for Member
\ of Corporation Commission,
ANNOUNCEMENT SHORTLY.
VIII Lend Interest to Governors APP
pointment to FIJI Vacancy to BE
Caused by Retirement. February L.
OF Judge Wingfield.

on The state CORPORATION commission,
which will become vacant with the
retirement. on February /. OF judge
Richard wingfield, will come out IN
few days.
| The prospective candidate Is a man
of large business experience and now
| holds ONCE of importance in one OF
the departments of the state govern
ment. The only man whose name is
now believed TO be before Governor
Stuart Is that of Captain Alexander
Forward, private secretary to the gov
ernor. and a man of high intelligence
and efficiency.
The following has been handed The
Virginian, with the request that IL De
published. explaining the functions OF
the corporation commission, the prop
able intent of the writer being to sur
up interest in the appointment shorty
to be made.
t~The state corporation commission
is commission of great Importance.
and of grea. dignity. 1t is body
with powers commensurate In many
respects with those of the supreme
court of appeals. In fact. so much
i'm portance attaches TO this body that
the trainers of our fundamental law
"a tsely wrote into the constitution the
proviso that at least one OF the COM
missioners shall have the qualifca-
tons prescribed for judges of the su>
preme court OF appeals No member
OF the commission can be tmpeached
or removed except in the manner
provided for the impeachment or re-
moval o. Judge of the supreme
court.
The constitution provides that.
The general assembly may. esta hlish
within the department and subject to
the supervision and control OF the
com mission subordinate divisions, or
bureaus of insurance, banking. OF
other special branches of the busf-
ness of that department. All sessions
of the commission shall be public, ana
q permanent record shall be kept OF
all its Judgments. rules. orders. find
ingr and decisions, and of all reports
made to or by it
Now. mark well this provision OF
the constitution. Two of the com
n,issionersf shall constitute quorum
for the transaction Of business.
whether there be vacancy in the
commission or not
The constitution provides that, the
state corporation commission shall be
the department OF government
through which ssalll be issued al
charters and amensments or extern
sions thereof for domestic corpora
tons, and all licenses to do business
in this state to foreign corporations
and through which shall be carried
out all the provisions OF this consti-
Itution, and of the laws made In pur-
suance thereof, for the creation, sisi-
tstion. supervision. regulation and
control of corporations chartered by,
or doing hsrsiness in this state The
constitution provides that the com
mission shall have all the rights and
powers of. and perfSrm all the du
ties devolving upon. the railroad COM
missioner, and the board OF public
works. at the time this constitution
goes into affect. >except so far as they
are inconsistent with this constitu-
ton, or may be hereafter abolished or
changed 49, law
.sThe constitution further provides
that The corn ission shall have the
power and be charged WITH the dutt
OF supervising. regulating and con-
trolling all transportation and trans
mission companies doing business IN
this state. in all matters relating TO
the performance of their public du-
ties. and their charges therefor, and
of correcting abuses therein by such
companies. and TO that end the COM
mission shall from time to time, pre-
scribe and enforce against such COM
ranies. in the manner hereinafter au-
thorized, such rates. charges. CLASH
tica tons of traffic. and rules and regu-
iations. and shall require them to-
establish and maintain all such pub
lie service. facilities and conveniences.
as may be reasonable and just. which
said rates, charges. classiflcations.
rules, regulations and requirements,
the commission may. from time 10
time. alter or amend.
THE commission shall also have the
right at all times to inspect the books
and papers OF all transportation and
transmission companies doing bust
ness in this state, and to require from
such companies, from time TO time,
special reports and statements con-
corning their business; II shall keep
Itself fully informed OF tho physical
conditions of all the railroads of the
state. as to the manner In which they
are operated. with reference to the
security and accommodation of the
public. and shall. from time to time.
make and enforce such requirements,
rules and regulations as may be ne
cessary to prevent unjust or unrea-
scnable discrimination by any trans
portation or transmission company in
ravor OF. or against. any person, To-
cality, community, connecting lines,
or kind of traffic in the matter OF car
F~ervice. train or boat schedule, efflci-
ency OF transportation or otherwise.
In connection with the public duties
of such company. -
"In all matters pertaining to the
public visitation, regulation or con-
troll of corporations, and within the
jurisdiction OF the commission. II
shall have the power and authority of
a court OF records. to administer
oaths, to COMPEL the attendance of
witnesses and the production OF pa
pers, to punish for contempt any per-
son guilty OF disrespectfui or disorder
-ly conduct in the presence OF the com
mission, while in session, and to en-
force compliance with any of its law
full orders or requirements, by ad-
judging. and enforcing by it's own APP
propriate process, against the delin-
quent and offending company
such fines or other penalties as may
be prescribed or authorized by this
constitution. or by law
The commission may be vested with
such additional power and charged
with such other duties (not incon-
sisteAt with this constitution as may
be prescribed by law. in connection
with the visitation. regulation or con-
troll OF corporations. or with~the pre-
scribfng and enforcing of rates and
charges to be observed in the con-