The Delta independent., 1923-06-29

Decision No. 615
Before the Public Utilities Commission
of the State of Colorado
In the Matter of the Application of The
Motor Transportation Company for Certi-
ficate of Public Convenience and Necessity
to Garry on the Business of Transporting
4 Freight between Grand Junction and Mont
rose, Colorado, and Intervening Points, and
to Garry on the Business of Transporting
Passengers, Express and Freight between
Grand Junction, Delta, Montrose, Hotchkiss,
Cedaredge, Paonia and Intervening Points.
APPLICATION NO. 236. June Is, 1923.
Appearances the Applicant, The
Motor Transportation Company, Messrs.
Burgess & Boutwell,, Grand Junction, Colo
rado; for Protestants, Joseph II. Young,
Receiver of The Denver and Rio Grande
Western Railroad Company and The Amer
can Railway Express Company, Thomas R.
Woodrow, Denver, Colorado.
STATEMENT.
By the Commission
The application herein was filed with this
Commission January 13, 1923, and was set
down for hearing and was heard at the City
Hall, Grand Junction, Colorado, Thursday,
April 10, 1928.
The Motor Transportation Company is a
corporation and has filed with the Commits
sion certified copy of its articles of incor
poration 1t has also filed the required con-
sent, permit, or other authority, showing
| that The Motor Transportation Company,
operating what is called "The White Bus
Line" has complied with all the ordinances,
rules and regulations of all cities and towns
to, through, and from which it proposes to
operate and has the consent from said places
for such operation.
The evidence in this case was quite vol
luminous, there being ten witnesses for the
applicant and six for the protestants. This
applicant was granted Certificate of Pub
lie Convenience and Necessity about year
ago for carrying passengers and express be-
tween Grand Junction, in Mesa County, and
Montrose, in Montrose County, Colorado,
and intervening points, which includes the
town of Whitewater, and the Cities of Delta
and Olathe. The present application enlarg-
es the scope of the business to be done by
The Motor Transportation Company so as
to include the carrying of passengers, ex-
press and freight between Grand Junction,
Montrose and Paonia and intermediate
| points.
The evidence in this case for the appli-
cant was produced by parties who actually
use the service, and also by the Mayor of
Paonia, the president of the Delta County
. Chamber of Commerce and others. 1t is but
| fair to state that while the auto bus lines,
which are now operating between the points
involved, the evidence in this and other cases
shows positively that the preponderance
of tonnage out of the various local conmun-
tiles is moved, and must be moved, by rail-
To illustrate, there many thousands of
carloads moved yearly of fruits, grains, coal,
stock, potatoes, ETC., from the localities en-
braced within the operations of this appli-
cant The testimony in this proceeding
shows that there are now, and have been for
two or three years, parties operating auto
bus lines within this field, hauling passen-
gers, freight and express and exercising the
functions of public utilities without license
to do so from the constituted state authori-
ties and in utter disregard and violation of
the statutes of Colorado.
Unquestionably there are many places
in Colorado where, on account of infrequent
,train service it would be deemed conven-
ience, and possibly necessity, to have auto