In re the Investigation of The Inter-Island Steam Navigation Co.

24 Haw. 136, 1917 Haw. LEXIS 6
CourtHawaii Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 18, 1917
DocketNo. 1050
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 24 Haw. 136 (In re the Investigation of The Inter-Island Steam Navigation Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Hawaii Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re the Investigation of The Inter-Island Steam Navigation Co., 24 Haw. 136, 1917 Haw. LEXIS 6 (haw 1917).

Opinion

OPINION OP THE COURT BY

QUARLES, J.

This is an appeal from an order made September 28, 1917, by the public utilities commission -for the regulation of the shipping business of the appellant, the Inter-Island Steam Navigation Company, Limited. The order, excluding the title and preamble, is in words and figures as folloivs, to wit:

“That the Inter-Island Steam Navigation Company, Limited, reduce all charges for the carriage of passengers and freight to not to exceed the rates and classifications which were in effect on the 1st day of August, A. D. 1916;
“That the company so amend its freight tariff that the total charge for less than quantity lots shall not exceed the minimum charge for quantity lots;.
“That said Inter-Island Steam Navigation Company, Limited, put into effect such changes in rates and classifications on or before the Fifteenth (15th) day of October, A. D. 1917.”

The hearing before the commission, which culminated in the order appealed from, commenced on August 24, 1916, and ended on September 4, 1917, when hearings before the commission ended and the matters investigated were taken under advisement. The findings of the commission were filed September 28, 1917. The [138]*138minutes of tlie meetings of the commission, including the stenographic record of all testimony heard, cover two thousand one hundred and twenty-eight typewritten pages, and the documentary eAddence introduced, the original exhibits of which are before us, are quite bulky. From the said order the Inter-Island Steam Navigation Company, Limited, hereinafter called the appellant, has appealed to this court, and in its appeal and notice of appeal, AAdiich covers four typewritten pages, states the grounds of appeal, AAdiich Ave summarize as follows:

(1) That the public ■ utilities commission has no jurisdiction over the matter of the reasonableness of rates charged by appellant or over the appellant, sole and exclusive jurisdiction over said matters being vested' in the shipping board created by Act of Congress dated September 7, 1910.

(2) That the order appealed front Avas made.Aidtliout jurisdiction and is violative of the provisions of the Fourth Article and of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the Federal Constitution in that no notice Avas given to ai>pellant of a hearing upon the question of fixing or regulating rates or the classification of shipments.

(3) That the order is AAdthout jurisdiction in that the notice of hearing given the appellant Avas for a general investigation under the provisions of section 2225 R. L., under AAdiich the poiver to make regulations or institute suits might be exercised by the provisions of section 2233 R. L., but under which the powers given by the provisions of section 2231 R. L. cannot be exercised Avithout Adulating the said provisions of the Constitution.

(1) That the finding of the commission is not sustained by the facts found in that the eAddence and findings show that the rates and charges of appellant are not [139]*139unjust or unreasonable but are too low and therefore insufficient.

The assignments of error set forth in the brief cover the points stated in the notice of appeal.

The first question is the serious one, and, if answered in the affirmative on the ground of lack of jurisdiction in the commission to make the order appealed from, will necessarily result in a reversal, in which event the other questions raised become immaterial. This question must be solved by a consideration, interpretation, and, where necessary, construction of those statutory provisions, both local and federal, which have a bearing upon this important question. The solution is not without difficulty.

The territorial legislature, by act which took effect July 1, 1913 (S. L. 1913, c. 89; R. L.1915, c. 128, secs. 2221-2210 inclusive), hereinafter called the Public Utilities Act, created the public utilities commission, defined its powers and prescribed its duties. The Act gave the commission “general supervision over all public utilities doing business in the Territory of Hawaii.” The sections of that Act which are necessary to be considered here are as follows:

Section 5 (Sec. 2225 R. L.): “The commission and each commissioner shall have power to examine into the condition of each public utility doing business in the Territory, the manner in which it is operated with reference to the safety or accommodation of the public, the safety, working hours and wages of its employees, the fares and rates charged by it, the value of its physical property, the issuance by it of stocks and bonds, and the disposition of the proceeds thereof, the amount and disposition of its income, and all its financial transactions, its business relations with other persons, companies or corporations, its compliance with all applicable territorial and federal laws and with the provisions of its franchise, charter and articles of association, if any, its classifications, rules, [140]*140regulations, practices and service, and all matters of every nature affecting the relations and transactions between it and the public or persons or corporations. Any such investigation may be made by the commission on its own motion, and shall be made when requested by the public utility to be investigated, or upon a sworn written complaint to the commission, setting forth any prima facie cause of complaint. All hearings conducted by the commission shall be open to the public. A majority of the Commission shall constitute a quorum.”
Section 13 (Sec. 2233 R. L.) : “If the commission shall be of the opinion that any public utility is violating or neglecting to comply with any territorial or federal law, or any provision of its franchise, charter, or articles of association, if any, or that changes, additions, extensions or.repairs are desirable in its plant or service in order to meet the reasonable convenience or necessity of the public, or to insure greater safety or security, or that any rates, fares, classifications, charges or rules are unreasonable or unreasonably discriminatory, or that in any way it is doing what it ought not to do, or not doing what it ought to do, it shall in writing inform the public utility of its conclusions and recommendations, shall include the same in its annual report, and may also publish the same in such manner as it may deem wise. The commission shall have power to examine into any of the matters referred to in section 2225, notwithstanding that the same may be within the jurisdiction of the interstate commerce commission, or within the jurisdiction of any court or other body, and when after such examination the commission shall be of the opinion that the circumstances warrant, it shall be its duty to effect the necessary relief or remedy by the institution and prosecution of appropriate proceedings or otherwise before said interstate commerce commission, or said court or other body, in its own name or in the name of the Territory, or in the name or names of any complainant or complainants, as it may deem best,”
Section 14. (Sec. 2234 R. L.) : “All rates, fares, charges, classifications, rules and practices made, charged, or observed by any public utility, or by two or more public utilities, jointly, shall be just and reasonable, and [141]

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Bluebook (online)
24 Haw. 136, 1917 Haw. LEXIS 6, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-the-investigation-of-the-inter-island-steam-navigation-co-haw-1917.