RULES OF PRACTICE BEFORE THE COMMISSION IN CASES AND PROCEEDINGS UNDER THE ACT TO

REGULATE COMMERCE.

I.

PUBLIC SESSIONS.

The general sessions of the Commission for hearing contested cases, including oral argument, will be held at its office in the American Bank Building, No. 1317 F street N.W., Washington, D. C., and the two weeks beginning with the first Monday in each month are set aside for that purpose.

Special sessions may be held at other places as ordered by the Commission.

II.

PARTIES TO CASES.

Any person, firm, company, corporation, or association, mercantile, agricultural, or manufacturing society, body politic or municipal organization, or any common carrier, or the railroad commissioner or commission of any State or Territory, may complain to the Commission by petition, of anything done, or omitted to be done, in violation of the provisions of the act to regulate commerce by any common carrier or carriers or other parties subject to the provisions of said act. Where a complaint relates to the rates, regulations, or practices of a single carrier, no other carrier need be made a party, but if it relates to matters in which two or more carriers, engaged in transportation by continuous carriage or shipment, are interested, the several carriers participating in such carriage or shipment are proper parties defendant.

Where a complaint relates to rates, regulations, or practices of carriers operating different lines, and the object of the proceeding is to secure correction of such rates, regulations or practices on each of said lines, all the carriers operating such lines must be made defendants.

When the line of a carrier is operated by a receiver or trustee, both the carrier and its receiver or trustee should be made defendants in cases involving transportation over such line.

Persons or carriers not parties may petition in any proceeding for leave to intervene and be heard therein. Such petition shall set forth the petitioner's interest in the proceeding. Leave granted on such application shall entitle the intervener to appear and be treated as a party to the proceeding, but no person not a carrier who intervenes in behalf of the defense shall have the right to file an answer or otherwise become a party, except to have notice of and appear at the taking of testimony, produce and cross-examine witnesses, and be heard, in person or by counsel, on the argument of the case.

III.
COMPLAINTS.

Complaints must be by petition setting forth briefly the facts claimed to constitute a violation of the law. The name of the carrier or carriers complained against must be stated in full, and the address of the petitioner, with the name and address of his attorney or counsel, if any, must appear upon the petition. The petition need not be verified. The complainant must furnish as many copies of the petition as there may be parties complained against to be served and three additional copies for the use of the Commission.

The Commission will cause a copy of the petition, with notice to satisfy or answer the same within a specified time, to be served personally or by mail, in its discretion, upon each defendant.

IV.
ANSWERS.

A defendant must answer within twenty days from the date of the notice above provided for, but the Commission may, in a particular case, require the answer to be filed within a shorter time. The time prescribed in any case may be extended, upon good cause shown, by the Commission. The original answer must be filed with the secretary of the Commission at its office in Washington, and a copy thereof at the same time served by the defendant, personally or by mail, upon the complainant, who must forthwith notify the secretary of its receipt. The answer must specifically admit or deny the material allegations of the petition, and also set forth the facts which will be relied upon to support any such denial. If a defendant shall make satisfaction before answering, a written acknowledgment thereof, showing the character and extent of the satisfaction given, must be filed by the complainant, and in that case the fact and manner of satisfaction, without other matter, may be set forth in the answer. If satisfaction be made after the filing and service of an answer, such written acknowledgment must also be filed by the complainant, and a supplemental answer setting forth the fact and manner of satisfaction must be filed by the defendant.

V.

NOTICE IN NATURE OF DEMURRER.

A defendant who deems the petition insufficient to show a breach of legal duty may, instead of answering or formally demurring, serve on the complainant notice of hearing on the petition; and in such case the facts stated in the petition will be deemed admitted. A copy of the notice must at the same time be filed with the secretary of the Commission. The filing of an answer, however, will not be deemed an admission of the sufficiency of the petition, but a motion to dismiss for insuffi. ciency may be made at the hearing.

VI.

SERVICE OF PAPERS.

Copies of notices or other papers must be served upon the adverse party or par ties, personally or by mail, and when any party has appeared by attorney service upon such attorney shall be deemed proper service upon the party.

VII.

AMENDMENTS.

Upon application of any party, amendments to any petition or answer, in any proceeding or investigation, may be allowed by the Commission, in its discretion.

VIII.

ADJOURNMENTS AND EXTENSIONS OF TIME.

Adjournments and extensions of time may be granted upon the application of any party, in the discretion of the Commission.

IX.
STIPULATIONS.

The parties to any proceeding or investigation before the Commission may, by stipulation in writing filed with the secretary, agree upon the facts, or any portion

thereof, involved in the controversy, which stipulation shall be regarded and used as evidence on the hearing. It is desired that the facts be thus agreed upon whenever practicable.

X.

HEARINGS.

Upon issue being joined by the service of an answer or notice of hearing on the petition, the Commission will assign a time and place for hearing the case, which will be at its office in Washington, unless otherwise ordered. Witnesses will be examined orally before the Commission, unless their testimony be taken or the facts be agreed upon as provided for in these rules. The complainant must in all cases establish the facts alleged to constitute a violation of the law, unless the defendant admits the same or fails to answer the petition. The defendant must also prove facts alleged in the answer, unless admitted by the petitioner, and fully disclose its defense at the hearing.

In case of failure to answer, the Commission will take such proof of the facts as may be deemed proper and reasonable, and make such order thereon as the circumstances of the case appear to require.

Cases may be heard by one or more members of the Commission, or by a special agent or examiner, as ordered by the Commission. When testimony is directed to be taken by a special agent or examiner, such officer shall have power to administer oaths, examine witnesses, and receive evidence, and shall make report thereof to the Commission.

All cases shall be orally argued in Washington, D. C., or submitted upon briefs, unless otherwise ordered by the Commission.

XI.

DEPOSITIONS.

The testimony of any witness may be taken by deposition, at the instance of a party, in any case before the Commission, and at any time after the same is at issue. The Commission may also order testimony to be taken by deposition, in any proceeding or investigation pending before it, at any stage of such proceeding or investigation. Such depositions may be taken berore any authorized special agent or examiner of the Commission, judge of any court of the United States, or any commissioner of a circuit or any clerk of a district or circuit court, or any chancellor, justice, or judge of a supreme or superior court, mayor or chief magistrate of a city, judge of a county court, or court of common pleas of any of the United States, or any notary public, not being of counsel or attorney to either of the parties or otherwise interested in the proceeding or investigation. Reasonable notice must be given in writing by the party or his attorney proposing to take such deposition to the opposite party or his attorney of record, which notice shall state the name of the witness and the time and place of the taking of his deposition, and a copy of such notice shall be filed with the secretary of the Commission.

When testimony is to be taken on behalf of a common carrier in any proceeding instituted by the Commission on its own motion, reasonable notice thereof in writ ing must be given by such carrier to the secretary of the Commission.

Every person whose deposition is taken shall be cautioned and sworn (or may affirm, if he so request) to testify the whole truth, and shall be carefully examined. His testimony shall be reduced to writing, which may be typewriting, by the magistrate taking the deposition, or under his direction, and shall, after it has been reduced to writing, be subscribed by the witness.

If a witness whose testimony may be desired to be taken by deposition be in a foreign country, the deposition may be taken before an officer or person designated by the Commission, or agreed upon by the parties by stipulation in writing to be filed with the secretary. All depositions must be promptly filed with the secretary.

XII.

WITNESSES AND SUBPŒNAS.

Subpoenas requiring the attendance of witnesses from any place in the United States to any designated place of hearing, for the purpose of taking the testimony of such witnesses orally before one or more members of the Commission, or an authorized special agent or examiner of the Commission, or by deposition, will, upon the application of either party, or upon the order of the Commission directing the taking of such testimony, be issued by any member of the Commission.

Subpoenas for the production of books, papers, or documents (unless directed to issue by the Commission upon its own motion) will only be issued upon application in writing; and when it is sought to compel witnesses, not parties to the proceeding, to produce such documentary evidence, the application must be sworn to and must specify, as nearly as may be, the books, papers, or documents desired; that the same are in the possession of the witness or under his control; and also, by facts stated, show that they contain material evidence necessary to the applicant. Applications to compel a party to the proceeding to produce books, papers, or documents need only set forth in a general way the books, papers, or documents desired to be produced, and that the applicant believes they will be of service in the determination of the case.

Witnesses whose testimony is taken orally or by deposition, and the magistrate or other officer taking such depositions, are severally entitled to the same fees as are paid for like services in the courts of the United States, such fees to be paid by the party at whose instance the testimony is taken.*

XIII.

DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE.

Where relevant and material matter offered in evidence is embraced in a report, tariff, rate sheet, classification, book, pamphlet, written or printed statement, or document of any kind containing other matter not material or relevant and not intended to be put in evidence, such report, etc., in whole, shall not be received or allowed to be filed in a cause on hearing before this Commission or at any time during the pendency thereof, but counsel or other party offering the same shall also present in convenient and proper form for filing a copy of such material and relevant matter, and that only shall be received and allowed to be filed as evidence and made part of the record in such cause; provided, however, that, if practicable, such matter may be read and taken down by the reporter and thus made part of the record.

XIV.
BRIEFS.

Unless otherwise specially ordered, printed briefs shall be filed on behalf of the parties in each case. The brief for complainant and the brief or briefs for the defense shall contain an abstract of the evidence relied upon by the party filing the same, and in such abstract reference shall be made to the pages of the record wherein the evidence appears. The abstract of evidence shall follow the statement of the case and precede the argument. Briefs shall be filed with the Commission and served upon the adverse party or parties by the complainant within fifteen days after the taking of testimony has been concluded, by the defendant or defendants within ten days thereafter, and the complainant shall have five days' additional time for reply. A shorter time or different apportionment not involving greater time may be specially ordered in any case.

Briefs shall be printed in twelve point type, on antique finish paper, 5% inches wide by 9 inches long, with suitable margins, double-leaded text and single-leaded

citations.

*Fees of witnesses are fixed by law at $1.50 for each day's attendance at the place of hearing or of taking depositions, and 5 cents per mile for going to said place from his place of residence and 5 cents per mile for returning therefrom.