Missouri, O. & G. Ry. Co. v. State

1911 OK 411, 119 P. 117, 29 Okla. 640, 1911 Okla. LEXIS 351
Supreme Court of Oklahoma·Decided November 14, 1911·No. 1274·Published·Cited by 24 cases

Opinion

TURNER, C. J.

At the conclusion of the testimony taken on the hearing of the petition of several residents of Durant, a city of 5,300 inhabitants, theretofore filed before it, wherein they complain of the St. Eouis & San Francisco Railroad Company, the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Company, and the Missouri, Oklahoma & Gulf Railway Company, defendants, the Corporation Commission on August 10, 1910, found:

“It is shown from the evidence that the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway and the Arkansas & Choctaw branch of the Frisco intersect at the town of Durant, and that said railway companies maintain a joint depot; that the Missouri, Oklahoma & Gulf has secured right of way through the town of Durant; that said right of way crosses the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway in the north part of the town and parallels the said railway from said crossing to the Arkansas & Choctaw branch of the Frisco, 470 feet east of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas a"nd Frisco crossing; that the proposed site of the Missouri, Oklahoma & Gulf depot is south and east of the main street in the town of Durant and 400 feet east of the north end of the joint depot used by the Missouri, Kansas & Texas and Frisco; that the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway has a double track through the town of Durant; that east of said track it has a switch track and also a merchandise track east of the main line, leading to grain elevators; that there is a great deal of switching done on those tracks by the Missouri, Kansas & Texas; that passengers arriving over the *642 Missouri, Kansas & Texas and Frisco, desiring to take a Missouri, Oklahoma & Gulf train, would have to cross these two tracks in order to get to the proposed site of the Missouri, Oklahoma & Gulf depot, thereby incurring additional expense in transferring baggage, and making it” very inconvenient and dangerous for the traveling public in crossing from one depot to another. It is further shown that the present depot of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway and Frisco Railroad is very convenient to the business part of the town, being located one block off the main street; that this depot is equipped with ample facilities to take care of the business of the three roads in the town of Durant at the present time; that a union depot can be maintained at much less expense to the railroads than separate depots. It appears from the testimony of the engineer of the Missouri, Oklahoma & Gulf Railway that it would be very expensive for said railway to secure right of way and run a track to connect with the joint depot of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas and Frisco; that the Missouri, Kansas & Texas and Missouri, Oklahoma & Gulf are competitive roads, and that the passenger traffic would be greatly decreased over the Missouri, Oklahoma & Gulf owing to the fact that the agent would be employed by the Missouri, Kansas & Texas and would invariably send passengers over the Missouri, Kansas & Texas, instead of sending them over the Missouri, Oklahoma & Gulf. After a thorough investigation and careful consideration of the evidence, the commission is of the opinion that the greater number of citizens of Durant and the traveling 'public would be better accommodated by the maintenance of a union passenger depot than by separate depots in the town of Durant; that it would be dangerous for passengers transferring from one depot to another; and that the proper safety and accommodations of the traveling public and the people of the town of Durant require a passenger depot used jointly by the Frisco, Missouri, Kansas & Texas, and Missouri, Oklahoma & Gulf Railways in the said town.”

—And ordered:

“* * * That the St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad Company, the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Company, and, the Missouri, Oklahoma'& Gulf Railway operate a joint passenger depot in the town of Durant at the present site of the depot used by the St. Louis & San Francisco and Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Companies in said town, suitable for the accommodation of the passenger traffic into and out of said town, and that said *643 depot shall be used jointly by said companies on and after the 1st day of December, 1909, and maintained for such joint use until further orders of this commission.”

From which said order the Missouri, Oklahoma & Gulf Railway Company alone appeals.

Assailing the order, appellant contends: That the commission was without jurisdiction to make it, because the same was based on the act of May 20, 1908, which, it is urged, extends that jurisdiction beyond the metes and bounds fixed by article 9, $ 18, Const., which reads:

“The commission shall have the power and authority and be charged with the duty of supervising, regulating, and controlling all transportation and transmission companies doing business in this.state, in all matters relating to the performance of their public duties and their charges therefor, and of correcting abuses and preventing unjust discrimination and extortion by such companies; and to that end the commission shall, from time to time, prescribe and enforce against such companies, in the manner hereinafter authorized, such rates, charges, classifications of traffic, and rules and regulations, and shall require them to establish and maintain all such public seryice facilities, and conveniences as may be reasonable and just. * * *”

—And which said act, having been passed prior to the time fixed in section 35 of the same article, which reads:

“After the second Monday in January, nineteen hundred and nine, the Legislature may, by law, from time to time, alter, amend, revise, or repeal sections from eighteen to thirty-four inclusive, of this article, or any of them, or any amendments thereof : Provided, that no amendment made under authority of this section shall contravene the provisions of any part of this Constitution other than the said sections last above referred to or any such amendments thereof.”

—is unconstitutional and void, and for that reason the order must fall.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Missouri, O. & G. Ry. Co. v. State, 1911 OK 411, 119 P. 117, 29 Okla. 640, 1911 Okla. LEXIS 351 (Okla. 1911).

1911 OK 411 (Missouri, O. & G. Ry. Co. v. State) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Opinion No. (1996)
Oklahoma Attorney General Reports, 1996
Opinion No. (1979) Ag
Oklahoma Attorney General Reports, 1979
Opinion No. (1979)
Oklahoma Attorney General Reports, 1979
Opinion No. 78-249 (1978) Ag
Oklahoma Attorney General Reports, 1978
Opinion No. 78-220 (1978) Ag
Oklahoma Attorney General Reports, 1978
Opinion No. 77-301 (1978) Ag
Oklahoma Attorney General Reports, 1978
Ex Parte Olden
1948 OK CR 108 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1948)
Texas Co. v. State ex rel. Coryell
1947 OK 53 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1947)
Ex Parte White
1942 OK CR 135 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1942)
Oklahoma County, Excise Board v. Kurn
1941 OK 234 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1941)
Atchison Ry. v. Railroad Comm.
283 U.S. 380 (Supreme Court, 1931)
Incorporated Town of Jenks v. Pratt
1929 OK 43 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1929)
Burton v. Smith
191 N.C. 599 (Supreme Court of North Carolina, 1926)
Rice v. State Ex Rel. Short
1924 OK 1112 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1924)
Chicago, R. I. & P. Ry. Co. v. State
1923 OK 251 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1923)
Atchison, T. & S. F. Ry. Co. v. Corporation Commission
1914 OK 633 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1914)
Ratliff v. Fleener
1914 OK 509 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1914)
Ex Parte Crump
1913 OK CR 272 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1913)