March 8, 1957
SenatorJep S. Fuller OpinionNo. WW-57A The Senateof the State of Texas Austin,Texas Re: Significanceof the word "paramount"88 ahown on Page 2 of the committee substitutefor Senate Dear SenatorFuller: Bill 100.
Your requestfor en opinionof this office in your letter of February21, 1957, on the above subjectmatter Is in part as follows:
"I am submittingherewiththe committeesubstitutefor SenateBill 100.
"The TransportationCommitteedirectedme, as chairman, to refer this bill to your Departmentfor a rulingon.the significanceof the word 'paramount' on page 2 of the Com- mittee Substitutefor SenateBill 100."
The part of the committeesubstitutefor SenateBill 100 per- tinentto your inquiryIs as follows:
"2. It shall be the duty of the Commi$.onera to see that upon each railroadin this State carryingpaesengera for hire there shall be run at least one train each day, Sundaysexcepted,upon which paeeengersshall be hauled; provided,however,the Commlseionmay, in ita dlacretion, upon applicationfiled and after notice and hearing,re- lax such requirementa8 to any railroad,or part, portion or branch thereof,when, (1) in its opinion,public con- veniencepermitsof such relaxation,and ahall relax such requirementwhen it appearsupon such hearingthat the -ing of one train each day, Su~@%ynexcepted,1s not necessaryin the renditionof adequateserviceto the pub- lic; and, when, (2) in its opinion,that on any railroad, or part, or portlonor branch thereof,passengerservice as frequenta8 one train each day, Sundaysexcepted,with the passengertrafficofferedand reasonablyto be ex- pected, does not and will not pay the cost of such serv- ice plus a reasonablereturnupon the propertyemployed in the renditionof such service;provided,however,that the public convenienceand the adequacyof the serviceto the public shall alwaysbe a paramountconsiderationin determiningwhether or not the requirementof operating - .
SenatorJep S. Fuller,Page 2 (WW-57A)
at least one train a day shallbe relaxedbecausethe cost of such serviceis not yieldinga reasonablereturn upon the propertyemployedin the renditionof euch servicei * . 01,
Article 10, Section1, Vernon'sCivil Statutes,directsthat in the constructionof all civil statutoryenactments"the ordinarynig- niflcatlonshall be appliedto words, exceptwords of art or worde con- nectedwith a particulartrade or subjectmatter,when they shall have the signification attachedto them by expertsin such art or trade,with referenceto such subjectmatter." Since the word "paramount"ie not a word of art or a word connected.witha particulartrade or subject matter,the ordinarysignification must be applied.
s ie definedas follows: The term "paramount
"Adj. Having a higher or the~highestrank or juria- diction;superiorto all others;chief; supreme;preemi- nent -- often with to; as, a duty paramountto all. Syn. -- see dominant." Webster'sNew International Dictionary, SecondEdition,Page 1773.
"1. Possessingor pertainingto the highesttitle or jurisdiction;supremein authority;as a paramountchief; paramountrule. 2. Possessingthe highestdegreeof im- portance;superiorto all others;supremelycontrolling; as paramountobligations;a paramountnecessity. 3. Su- perior;higher: used prepositionally.Sny. chief, emi- nent, foremost,preeminent,principal,superior,supreme." Funk and Wagcell'sNew StandardDictionaryof the English Language,Page 1792.
"Higher;superior;preeminent;of the highestrank or nature. It is a word frequentlyused in ordinarylife, and having no technicalor legal significancecallingfor a discrimination in the nicetiesof the meaning involved in the differentideas that may be drawn from a given situ- ation." Volume 67 of CorpusJuris Secundum,Page 558.
The writer has carefullycheckedand has found no Texas Court decisionconstruingthe word "paramount". Some courts in other juria- dictionshave judiciallydefinedthe word accordingto informationsta- ted in Words