ination in their public service, and prescribe penalties for violation thereof. common car Section 1. Be it enacted by the Legislature of Alabama, That all railroads heretofore construc- Declaring railroads public ted, or which may be hereafter constructed in highways and this State are hereby declared public highways, riers. and all railroad companies, or other companies, corporations, or individuals engaged in the trans portation of persons, or freight over railroads for hire are hereby declared common carriers. (Section 2 of this Act amended August 19, 1907, (Senate Bill 399), to read as follows): file schedules Section 2. Every common carrier subject to Requiring comthe provisions of this Act shall cause to be print-mon carrier to ed or typewritten in plain type or characters with railroad and shall file with the Railroad Commission commission. within a reasonable time to be fixed by said Commission, and shall keep open to public inspction, schedules showing all the rates, fares and charges for the transportation of property and passengers and any service in connection therewith which it has established, or which have been established by statute, or by said Railroad Commission, between all points in the State on its own route, and, when a through route and joint rate have been established between all points in the State on its route and all points in the State on the route of any other carrier by railroad or by water with which a through route and joint rate have been established. The schedules afore-shall state. said shall plainly state the places in the State o its own line and on any line controlled or operated by it and on any line with which a through route and joint rate have been established between which property and passengers will be What schedule Requiring schedule to be ed. carried, and shall contain the classification of freight in force, said schedules shall also contain all rules and regulations that in any manner affect the rates or fares to be charged for the transportation of passengers and property, and all charges for delay in loading or unloading cars, for track and car service or rental and for switching, demurrage, terminal and transfer service, and for rendering any other servicve in connection with the transportation of passengers filed and post- and property. Copies of said schedules shall be kept posted for the use of the public in at least two public and conspicuous places in, and filed at every depot, station or office of such common carrier where passengers or freight are received for transportation, in such form and place that they shall be accessible to the public and can be conveniently inspected. Provided, however, that in lieu of posting and filing as aforesaid its entire schedules at each depot, station or office where passengers and freight are received for transportation, such common carrier may file and keep posted as aforesaid at each such depot, of rates must station or office schedules of such of its aforesaid be posted at rates, fares and charges as are applicable between such depot, station or office and all other points in this State on its road and on any road controlled or operated by it or with which a through route and joint rate have been established. What schedule each depot. in schedule. (Section 3 of this Act, amended August 19, 1907, (Senate Bill 399), to read as follows): Section 2.. That Section 3 of said Act be, and the same is hereby amended so as to read as fol As to changes lows: Section 3. No change shall be made by any common carrier in the rates, fares and charg es, or joint rates, fares and charges, which have been filed and published by it, or which are in force at the time, until the proposed changes have been submitted to, and approved by an or der of, the Railroad Commission. After such approval all such changes shall, before the same Copies of new shall become effective, be plainly indicated upon schedule filed and posted. existing schedules or by filing and posting as aforesaid new schedules for a period of ten days prior to the time the same are to take effect; provided, however, that the said Railroad Commission may prescribe a shorter period within which such changes shall take effect. (Section 4 of this Act, amended August 19, (Senate Bill 399), to read as follows): 1907, schedule. Section 4. Whenever a change has been made Notice as to and approved as aforesaid in any existing sched-change in ule of rates, fares and charges, or joint rates, fares and charges, a notice shall be posted by the common carrier in a conspicuous place, so as to be accessible to the public and conveniently inspected, in every depot, station or office where passengers or freight are received for transportation which is affected by said change or to which the same is applicable, stating the changes which have been made in the schedule on file, and specifying the class or commodity affected, the change made and the date when such change shall take effect. Sec. 5. It shall be unlawful for any railroad to charge, demand, collect, or receive a greater violation of Penalty for or less compensation for the transportation of schedules; exof passengers, or property, or for any service in connection therewith thap is specified in such ceptions. Copies of printed schedules, including schedules of joint rates as may at the time be enforced, except as provided by law, or the Railroad Commission, and the rates, fares and charges named therein shall be the lawful rates when approved by the Railroad Commission, but the commission may prescribe such changes in the form in which the schedules are issued by the railroads as may be found expedient. Sec. 6. Every railroad operated in this State contracts as to shall file with the Railroad Commission within transporta- the time to be fixed by the commission copies of with railroad all contracts, which relate to the transportation tion to be filed commission. Railroads required to file verfied list of all tickets, passes, etc. of persons, or property, or any service in connection therewith, made or entered into by it with any other railroad company, car company, or equipment company, express, or other transportation company. Sec. 7. Every railroad shall, on, or before the first day of September in each year, and oftener if required by the Railroad Commission, file with the commission a verified list of all railroad tickets, passes, mileage books issued, free or for other than actual bona fide money consideration at full established rates during the preceding year, ending June the 30th, together with the names of recipients thereof, the amounts rceived therefor, and the reason for issuing the same. This provision shall not apply to the sale of tickets at reduced rates authorized by the law, or rates opened to the public, nor tickets, passes, or mileage books issued prior to the passage of this act. rebate, false Sec. 8. If any railroad, or any agent, or officer thereof, shall directly or indirectly, or by special Penalty for rate, rebate, drawback, or by means of false bill-Violation as to ing, false classification, false weighing, false re- billing, etc. port of weights, or by any other device whatsoever charge, demand, collect, or receive from any person, firm, or corporation, a greater, or less compensation for any service rendered, or to be rendered by it for the transportation of persons, or property, or for any service in connection therewith, than that prescribed in the published tariffs, or than it charges, demands, collects, or receives from any other person, firm, company or corporation, for a like service such railroad shall be deemed guilty of unjust discrimination, which is hereby prohibited and declared to be unlawful, and shall forfeit to the State of Alabama and pay into the State treasury, not less than one hundred dollars, nor more than ten thousand dollars for each offense. Unlawful to charges less Sec. 9. It shall be unlawful for any railroad to demand, charge, collect, or receive from any person, firm, or corporation a less compensation for the transportation of property, or for any compensaservice rendered, or to be rendered by said railroad in consideration of said person, firm, or cor poration, furnishing any part of the facilities incident thereto. tion. Sec. 10. Whenever passengers, or property are Joint rates transported over two, or more connecting lines must be of railroad between points in this State, and the reasonable. railroad companies have made joint rates for the transportation of the same, such rates, and all charges in connection therewith, shall be just |