IT IS ORDERED, That no railroad operating trains in South Carolina shall be permitted to operate locomotives backwards on their trains for a distance of more than ten miles, except in instances over which the railway has absolutely no control, such as wrecks, or storms and floods and other acts of Providence. The main intention of this order is to prevent the habitual operating of engines backwards by railways that have not provided themselves with the proper facilities for the turning of such equipment: Provided, however, That this order shall not affect service or work trains, switch or yard engines, or locomotives known as "helpers." ORDERED FURTHER, That all railways operating in South Carolina shall have ninety days from the date of this order to comply with the terms herein mentionel, and in exceptional cases the time may be extended by the Commission if in their opinion it becomes necessary to do so. By order of the Commission. In re Express Collection and Delivery Service. American Railway Express Company: Since September 16th, 1918, the Commission has had several complaints lodged against the American Railway Express Company relative to discontinuance of said company's practice in the past of collecting fruit and produce shipments from the wholesale dealers and shippers of such commodities at different points in South Carolina. From information received in an informal hearing in the Commission's office this day, April 16th, 1919, it developed that this specific service of the American Railway Express Company was discontinued at certain shipping points in South Carolina on or about July 1st, 1918. This discontinuance was put into effect without the knowledge or consent of the Railroad Commission of South Carolina, and was therefore done arbitrarily by the aforesaid express company. The Commission has evidence in its records to convince them that this service is being performed by the above mentioned express company in other States, and in view of these conditions, the Commission, after considerable correspondence with with the complainants and the American Railway Express Company, ordered a hearing to be held in its office at Columbia on March 26th, 1919. On March 24th, at the request of the American Railway Express Company, the Commission granted a continuance of this hearing until April 3rd. On April 1st, the Commission, at the request of Mr. J. B. Hockaday, General Manager American Railway Express Company, granted a further continuance of this hearing until April 16th. On April 11th the Commission received a letter from Mr. Hockaday requesting that this hearing be further continued until an early date in May. However, as per schedule, on April 16th, quite a number of complainants from both Columbia and Charleston --some of the Columbia complainants representing the shippers of Greenville and Spartanburg-appeared before the Commission prepared for the hearing. Upon the evidence set out in Mr. Hockaday's letter last referred to above, the Commission opened the case to be heard on the question of continuance only. At this informal hearing, the complainants present emphatically refused to consent to a further continuance. Superintendents C. K. Barrett and W. F. Terrell, representing the American Railway Express Company, pleaded for a continuance. After going into the question of continuance fully, the Commission went into executive session and unanimously agreed to continue this hearing until May 7th, 1919, at 12 o'clock noon, in its office at Columbia, S. C. In the meantime, in view of the facts as above stated, IT IS ORDERED, That the American Railway Express Company reinstate the service of collecting or picking up fruit and produce shipments intended for transportation over their lines at all points where free delivery and collection service was maintained prior to July 1st, 1918, or date such service was discontinued; this order to remain in effect until further orders of this Commission. This order is peremptory and must take effect not later than 6 Augusta Northern Railway Company: In re rates to be put into effect between American Railway Express Company and Augusta Northern Railway Company for service rendered by the aforesaid railway company. Before and since the hearing held in regard to above matter at Saluda, S. C., on February 20th, 1919, the Commission has given much consideration to the question, first, of keeping express service for the citiens of Saluda and surrounding community; and, second, what would be a just and equitable rate for the Augusta Northern Railway Company to receive for performing its part of the service, and what should be left of the gross revenue for the American Railway Express Company. This question has given the Commisison much concern and demanded of it quite an amount of thought and deliberation. After the most careful consideration, and after consultation with the Attorney General, and having received his opinion as to the jurisdiction of this Commission in regard to making a rate of this kind (copy of which opinion is attached hereto), the Commission submits the following rate, which in its opinion is a just and equitable rate to both corporations concerned; and upon these facts, IT IS ORDERED, That the Augusta Northern Railway Company receive for the transportation of express from Wards to Saluda, S. C., and vice versa, twelve per cent. of the gross reve nues derived on express traffic originating at and going into Saluda, S. C. This order to become effective May 1st, 1919. Columbia, S. C., April 28th, 1919. ORDER NO. 179. Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company: Whereas a communication has been received by the Railroad Commission of South Carolina, dated Atlanta, Ga., April 26th, 1919, and signed by J. Epps Brown, President of the Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company, and submitting therewith a certain schedule designated as "Proposed Rate Revision, Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company Exchanges in the State of South Carolina," by which schedule it is proposed to make certain changes in the existing telephone rates applying to certain classes of telephone service at Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph exchanges in the State of South Carolina, said exchanges to become effective May 1st, 1919, under the approval and authority of the Postmaster General of the United States; and it is shown that the Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company operating in the State of South Carolina will attempt to institute certain changes in rates as specified in said schedule above referred to wholly in variance with and contrary to the laws of the State of South Carolina governing and controlling such matters, and particularly in violation of Sections 3161, 3162 and 3163 of the General Statutes of South Carolina; and, Whereas it appears to the Commission that before said schedule of rates could become effective they should have had ample notice in order to call a meeting of the patrons of the said telephone company who would be affected by the proposed changes in rate as set out in schedule referred to, and a hearing held before the Commission between such patrons and the officials of the telephone company interested, at which time the Com mission could obtain such information as would enable them to pass upon the reasonableness or unreasonableness of the proposed change, and one of the intentions of the following order is to allow the Commission and the patrons of Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company operating in South Carolina the necessary time for such hearing; THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED, That all changes proposed to be made relating to or affecting any rates at Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company exchanges, the result of which will be to alter the charge or charges paid for telephone service in and between points in the State of South Carolina be and are hereby prohibited; and that the Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company operating in the State of South Carolina shall not charge, collect, demand or receive any intrastate rate or charge based upon said schedule of rates above referred to and on file with the Commission. FURTHER ORDERED, That the legal rates and charges for telephone service within the State of South Carolina at exchanges of the Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company be and the same are hereby declared to be the rates and charges previously filed with the Railroad Commission of South Carolina in compliance with the laws of the State and the orders of the Commission. This order is peremptory and of immediate effect until further orders of this Commission. In re Increase in Rates, Charleston Consolidated Railway and Lighting Company from City Limits of Charleston, S. C., to North Charleston and Return. Charleston Consolidated Railway and Lighting Company: On petition of the Charleston Consolidated Railway and Lighting Company, presented to this Commission on June 11th, |