and Telegraph Company, and for eleven out of the thirty-three independent exchanges. The balance of the reports came in too late to be printed in this report, but are on file in this office.

We beg to call attention to the new Telephone rules promulgated by the Commission last year. These rules are herein printed in full and are now in force.

TELEGRAPH COMPANIES.

There are two telegraph companies operating in this State, the Western Union Telegraph Company, which has 305 offices, and the Postal Telegraph Company, operating 21 offices.

We have had many complaints growing out of the telegraph strikes of the past year, the companies closing some offices without posting the proper notices and without the consent or permission of this Commission. As soon as reported to us, we had such officers reopened. Upon proper complaint several new offices, separate and distinct from the railroad offices have been opened, it being shown that one operator could not handle its business. Complaints having been made concerning the collection by messengers for delivering messages, when said messages were sent to persons living one mile, or less, from the telegraph office, the Commission has adopted and published a rule on this subject, as shown by Rule No. 4 (see Telegraph Rules). This rule will be in force on and after March 1, 1908.

For further information we direct your attention to the various reports, tables, statistics, etc., following this general statement, and herewith respectfully submitted.

B. L. CAUGHMAN, Chairman.
JOHN H. EARLE,

J. M. SULLIVAN,

Columbia, S. C., January 1, 1908.

Commissioners.

RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE RAILROAD COMMISSION OF SOUTH CAROLINA APPLYING

TO RAILROADS.

MANNER OF FILING COMPLAINTS AND ANSWERS.

1. All complaints and applications for hearings before the Commission shall be in writing.

2. Such complaint or application shall contain a brief statement of facts and be signed by the complainants or applicants. Complaints may be sent at any time to the Chairman or Secretary of the Commission at Columbia, S. C., or delivered to any member of the Commission.

3. If such complaint or application contains matter which, in the judgment of the Commission, requires investigation, the Secretary shall file the same by placing his file mark thereon with the proper number, enter the same on the docket, and notify the parties in writing.

4. Where any complaint is made to the Commission, and it shall appear that there are reasonable grounds for investigation, and such party complained of shall fail to satisfy said complaint as provided. in Rule 3, a notice shall be issued to such party to appear before the Commission at the place and time named in the notice, to answer such complaint. All answers to complaints and petitions before the Commission shall be made in writing.

5. The party or parties to any complaint or application and party complained of may appear before the Commission in person or by counsel.

GENERAL RULES APPLICABLE TO PASSENGER SERVICE.

Rule No. 6. All railroad companies or persons operating in South Carolina as common carriers shall be required to have printed in large type and kept posted in a conspicuous place in each waiting room at depots in South Carolina, from and after the first day of September, 1907, the following notice:

NOTICE.

All railroad companies are required, under the laws of South Carolina and the rules of the Railroad Commission, to bulletin trains. when late, to furnish good, wholesome drinking water to passengers,

2-R. C.

to keep waiting rooms and passenger coaches clean, well lighted, properly ventilated, and comfortably heated when necessary.

The Railroad Commission of South Carolina would appreciate the prompt reporting to its office at Columbia, S. C., of the failure of any company or its agent to comply with these requirements.

Rule No. 7. Railroad companies are required, at all stations where passenger tickets are offered for sale, to open their waiting rooms at least thirty minutes before schedule time of the arrival of all passenger trains, or trains carrying passengers.

Rule No. 8. A separate room for white and colored passengers, sufficient for their comfort and convenience, shall be provided at all stations where passenger tickets are offered for sale, and these waiting rooms shall be furnished with adequate lights, and, when the inclemency of the weather requires, with fire, and at all times kept clean and made comfortable for passengers.

A substantial water cooler must be in each waiting room with drinking vessel conveniently placed. The said cooler to be supplied with wholesome water at all hours to meet the requirements of passengers. There shall be connected with each of these waiting rooms, whenever practicable, except at flag stations on the railroad lines. where there is no regularly kept passenger station, two separate and distinct water closets, one for female passengers and one for male passengers, and said closets shall be kept in fit and suitable condition for use and convenience of said passengers. Such toilets will be considered as connnected with the waiting rooms if the walks thereto are walled up on each side and open into or near the waiting rooms so as to afford a reasonable privacy to passengers.

Rule No. 9. On all passenger trains, or trains carrying passengers in this State, the railroad companies shall furnish safe and adequate heating appliances and lights, and shall keep the passenger coaches clean, sufficiently warm, and properly ventilated for the comfort of passengers. All passenger coaches, after reaching their destination and before being put in service for further use, must be thoroughly cleaned, and toilet rooms in said coaches must be thoroughly cleaned, fumigated, and disinfected.

Rule No. 10. All railroad companies shall provide such means or appliances as may be necessary to secure the careful handling of and prevent injury to baggage. At all stations where no proper appliances are supplied, the baggagemaster shall have such assistance from the train hands or others as may be necessary to handle all baggage without injury to same. That at all junctional points and

all towns over 500 inhabitants, sufficient trucks be furnished to both load and unload baggage.

Rule No. II. Whenever any passenger trains or trains carrying passengers on any railroad in this State shall be more than one-half of an hour behind its schedule time, it shall be the duty of said railroad company to bulletin, and keep posted at every telegraph station along its line, in the direction in which said train is going, the time such train is behind its schedule time, and the time of its arrival, as near as can be ascertained.

Each bulletin board upon which the foregoing information is to be posted shall contain the regular schedule of the arrival and departure of all trains carrying passengers.

All notices as to trains behind schedule time shall be erased from the bulletin immediately after the departure of such trains.

Rule No. 12. Notice of any change in the schedule time of passenger trains, or trains carrying passengers, must be posted conspicuously at each of the stations along the line of the road, and notice to the Commission be given in writing at least five days before the change is to take effect: Provided, freight trains carrying passengers and running between local stations may be excepted from this rule by proper showing before this Commission when said train. is not advertised in published schedules as carrying passengers.

Rule No. 13. Each passenger shall be entitled to baggage not exceeding 200 pounds.

Rule No. 14. In case of accident, attended with injury, to any person, the railroad company upon whose line such accident occurred shall cause immediate notice, with full particulars, to be given to the Commission, and in the event of an accident resulting in the death of, or injury likely to cause death, to any person, notice of such accident shall be given immediately by telegraph or such other means as to insure the quickest possible delivery of said notice, and the officials of the road upon which such accident occurs are required to furnish, when so ordered by the Commission, without cost to said Commission, immediate transportation by the quickest route over its line, or over that of other railroads, to and from the place of such accident.

Rule No. 15. No station flag stop or depot shall be discontinued before thirty days' notice at least has been given to the Commission, and not until written permission from the Commission is given for such action.

Rule No. 16. On all railroads a half-faré of not more than one and a half cents per mile for children under twelve years old or over six years of age shall be charged.

Rule No. 17. No railroad company shall be allowed to charge more than five cents as a minimum full or half rate between regular stations when the fare would be less than that amount.

Rule No. 18. The fare shall always be equal to the distance in mile multiplied by three, between all points or stations in South Carolina on any and all railroads operated by steam, except in cases where a competitive road's mileage between said points or stations is shorter, and in said case the short mileage may be used. In calculating said rate, the shortest mileage between any two points or stations by one or more roads may be used.

Rule No. 19. Upon a corpse the regular passenger fare may be charged. If not in good condition, or improperly packed, or not accompanied by a person in charge, the railroad company may decline to receive it.

Rule No. 20. There shall be no unjust discrimination as to passenger rates in favor of or against any individual or locality: Provided, however, that this rule shall not be so construed as to prevent railroad companies issuing commutation, excursion or thousand-mile tickets as the same are now issued.

Rule No. 21. Whenever there is, by reason of accident or otherwise, a break or obstruction on any railroad in this State, which will delay any passenger train on said road, it shall be the duty of said. road to have the same bulletined at all stations at and between the said passenger train and the place so obstructed, and the conductor shall give notice of said obstruction to the passengers in the cars, before leaving the station, and the delay that will probably be caused by the same.

No. 22.

} RATES APPLICABLE TO ROADS UNDER ONE MANAGEMENT OR CONTROL.

All connecting railroads doing business in this State, and under the management or control, by lease, ownership, association or otherwise, of one and the same person, firm, corporation or association, shall, for purposes of transportation, in applying freight and passenger tariffs, be considered as constituting but one and the same road, and the rate shall be computed as upon parts of one and the same road, unless otherwise specified by the Railroad Commission.