Penalty for Injuries to Corporate Property. C. C. Sec. 537. Any person who injures or destroys, through want of proper care, any necessary or useful fixture of any telegraph or telephone corporation, is liable to the corporation for all damages sustained thereby. Any vessel which, by dragging its anchor, or otherwise, breaks, in jures, or destroys the subaqueous cable of a telegraph or telephone corporation, subjects its owner to the damages hereinbefore specified. C. C. Sec. 538. Any person who willfully and maliciously does any injury to any telegraph or telephone property, mentioned in the preceding section, is liable to the corporation for one hundred times the amount of actual damages sustained thereby, to be recovered in any court of competent jurisdiction. Monuments at Subaqueous Cable Crossings. C. C. Sec. 539. No telegraph or telephone corporation can recover damages for the breaking or injuring of any subaqueous telegraph or telephone cable, unless such corporation has previously erected on either bank of the waters under which the cable is placed, a monument, indicating the place where the cable lies, and publishes for one month in some newspaper most likely to give notice to navigators, a notice giving a description and the purpose of the monuments, and the general course, landings, and termini of the cable. Conduct of Business. C. C. Sec. 2207. A carrier of messages by telegraph or telephone must, if it is practicable, transmit every such message immediately upon its receipt. But if this is not practicable, and several messages accumulate upon his hands, he must transmit them in the following order: 1. Messages from public agents of the United States or of this state, on public business; 2. Messages giving information relating to the sickness or death of any person; 3. Messages intended in good faith for immediate publication in newspapers, and not for any secret use; 4. Other messages in the order in which they are received. [See also Sections 2161, 2162 C. C.] 1 Powers of Irrigation Companies to Distribute the Corporate Property. Water a Public Use-When. Franchises to Supply Municipalities-How Obtained. C. C. Sec. 548. No corporation formed to supply any city, city and county, or town with water , must do so unless previously authorized by an ordinance of the authorities thereof, or unless it is done in conformity with a contract entered into between the city, city and county, or town and the corporation. Contracts so made are valid and binding law, but do not take from the city, city and county, or town the right to regulate the rates for water, nor must any exclusive right be granted. No contract or grant must be made for a term exceeding fifty years. Duties of Such Corporations. to C. C. Sec. 549. All corporations formed supply water to cities or towns must furnish pure fresh water to the inhabitants thereof, for family uses, so long as the supply permits, at reasonable rates and without distinction of persons, upon proper demand therefor; and must furnish water to the extent of their means, in case of fire or other great necessity, free of charge. The board of supervisors, or the proper city or town authorities, may prescribe proper rules relating to the delivery of water, not inconsistent with the laws of the state. Duties of Irrigation Companies. any C. C. Sec. 552. Whenever corporation, organized under the laws of this state, furnishes water to irrigate lands which said corporation has sold, the right to the flow and use of said water is and shall remain a perpetual easement to the land so sold, at such rates and terms as may be established by said corporation in pursuance of law. And whenever any person who is cultivating land, on the line and within the flow of any ditch owned by such corporation, has been furnished water by it, with which to irrigate his land, such person shall be entitled to the continued use of said water, upon the same terms as those who have purchased their land of the corporation. Must Not Unnecessarily Obstruct Public Highways. Civil Code 551, p. 469, supra. Powers of Irrigation Companies to Distribute the Corporate Property. Civil Code 309, p. 416, supra. Water a Public Use-When. |