STATE RAILROAD COMMISSIONS AND STATE RAILROAD STATUTES.

Table I.-TITLES OF CODES AND STATUTES, AND GENERAL CHARACTERIZATION OF LAWS-Continued.

State or Territory.

Nevada..

New Hampshire.
New Jersey.

New Mexico.
New York

North Carolina.

North Dakota

Ohio..

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island..
South Carolina.

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont
Virginis.

Washington

West Virginia
Wisconsin

Wyoming

Special railroad law, Ch. VIII, secs. 834-913.
Special railroad law, including commission, title 21.
Special railroad law, Vol. II, p. 26351f.

Railroad organized under general incorporation law,
Title V, ch. 1.
commission law, ch. 353, laws of 1882,.and miscellane-
1890-Special railroad law, ch. 140, laws of 1850: also
ous railroad statutes.
1891-Railroads organized under a "corporation law"
supplemented by a "stock corporation law" and a
railroad law." Commission law included in "rail-
road law." Miscellaneous statutes continued in force.

graphs, sec. 1932ff. Commission law passed in 1891, Special law for incorporation of railroads and teleS. L. 275ff.

Revised Codes, 1895; references to sections. S. L. to Special railroad law. Civil Code, ch. 12, with preliminary

provisions applicable to all corporations, ch. 11. Commission law is in ch. 12.

Railroads organized under general incorporation law, Title II, ch. 1, in both Giauque and Bates. Ch. 2 contains railroad powers and regulations. Commission law is in ch. 7.

Special railroad law, ch. 17, art. 9, with preliminary provisions applicable to all corporations, ch. 17, arts. 1-8. Railroads organized under general incorporation law, Ch. XXXII. Commission law in Ch. LXXII. Commis1 sion law repealed in 1898, S. L. 4. Special railroad law, Vol. II.

law in ch. 187. No general or railroad incorporation law. Commission

No general or railroad incorporation law. Commission law in ch. LI. Special railroad law passed in 1899, S. L. 64ff.

preliminary provisions applicable to all corporations. Special railroad law, part 3, title 2, ch. 3, art. 9, with Commission law is in Political Code, ch. 6, art. 2. Railroads organized under general incorporation law, title 9, ch. 3, Arts. I and II. Certain railroad regulations in title 8, chs. 1 and 2.

in 1891, is sec. 4280a in Supplement. Special railroad law, title 84. Commission law, passed

STATE RAILROAD COMMISSIONS.

TABLE II.-ORGANIZATION OF RAILROAD COMMISSIONS.
TABLE III.-DUTIES OF RAILROAD COMMISSIONS.

TABLE IV.-POWERS OF RAILROAD COMMISSIONS.

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EXPLANATORY NOTE.

Fable II deals with the organization of railroad commissions.

Part A is concerned with the names and nature of railroad commissions. In 1890 there were twenty-eight State boards, while in 1902 the number had increased to thirty. The changes during the intermediate years are summarized in the text. A study of the column devoted to the question as to whether the commission has authority over rates discloses a well-marked tendency toward the "strong" commission—a board with the rate-making power-at the expense of the "weak" commission; that is, a board which has no such power. From a further study of Part A of the table may be observed a tendency in the disposition of State legislatures to intrust to their railroad commissions authority over corporations other than railroads; also, the relation of commissions to other agencies of government.

Fart B is concerned with the subject of the composition of railroad commissions-when created, how composed, term of office, conditions of appointment, privileges, and officers and assistants allowed.

Part C is concerned with the salaries of railroad commissioners and the method of payment, together with laws of organization peculiar to a few States. There is wide difference in the salaries of commissioners, which range from one thousand to eight thousand dollars per annum, while the salaries allowed to the secretaries or clerks also range from eight hundred to six thousand dollars. The average of the salaries of all commissioners is perhaps not much less than three thousand dollars.

It is the design of this report to present the general facts relative to the organization of railroad commissions, and the statutory regulation of railways, in such form that the laws of the several States may be easily compared, and that the general trend of railroad regulation may be seen at a glance. The boxing contains the classification of items. On the left-hand side of each table are the names of the States, followed by a column giving the years in which legislation took place relative to any phase of the general subject covered by the table. The years 1890 and 1902 are always given, but intermediate dates appear only when legislation was enacted within that period. The condition of the law in 1890 is indicated by the insertion in the table of figures, or of explanations, words and figures. Such an insertion indicates that the item of law appearing at the head of the column was in force in 1890. No insertion means an absence of legislation on that subject. "Do." (ditto) under an insertion indicates that the law remained in force through 1902, and this word is always put after 1902, unless the law has been repealed before that time. The figures in the body of the following table indicate that the State in question has a statute conforming to the statement made in the boring of the column in which the figures appear. These figures refer, also, to the section, chapter, or page of the particular compilation of statutes or laws which is authority for the statement. The titles of these compilations are to be found in the second column of Table I.

The abbreviations observed throughout the tables are the following:

S. L.....Session Laws. References to session laws are to pages, except where indicated by ch. (chapter). . Repealed.

R

The following is the explanation of the signs used in the tables: