Case Information
*1 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEYGENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
ZtellroQQ c8~eaion at TQxtlS
Auaala , Texfu
ettsntioa .to that pert of pqrrgqpq~(di,, seotloa 5a or 33.
00 there that rb am herring a oontraat end ah0 operator of oomaoa r~xafl line should taetlry that ho e aorvic~ ao raeot tho raquixwmntm of tha budnea8 oonobrn ahi& require8 the senlosn of the aoatmot omler ap?lioant, biut that, by the addition Of tl-U&E ol ad'ledUb6 Or tl'kin '3QUiJ%W!It, 5~ioi-1 oomn oarrler IQ oapable of rsnllcrlng the pro- poecQ servioe, the authmitg to psrfom whloh the oontrsot carrier applioant 18 fieekln& ia suoh testi- mny about the addition of ttu@ke or 6ohedule8 or *2 Railroad Ocmmia5ion oi Tex.es, pagO 2
traiil equiplssnt admlsalble or ia sach oommon oerrier oontincrd to the aontcntion that his ex- istiug truok8, sohedulee end equipment are oap- able of rendering the senloe involved in the contraat oarrier applioatlon?
"2. 3oes the Coraalsslon have aotual or gotortlal power to grant e contraatWo8rrler ap plioatlon .where it oonolusirely epgears that the ,exlnting truok8, facll.itloa imd train equlpmnt are not, adequate to perfom the .oervlces ?ropossd sy P oontraot osrrier applicant, Sut :pimre it oox- OlUSiVely QFF%FLTS that 8UCh OOJ31oIl OtllTi%rS P.Tb _ ready, able and nllllhg to increase their eahedules,
truciu, faoll$tla8 or equlpaent to th% point shere they areoapeble of ITmd6rl;lg the mrvlce proposed by the oontraot carrier nppllcant?
"3. ?lease advise us on whoa the burden oi pleadings and aroof lie In tho ytter ofsetab- llshing whether or not exist& oarrlers are ran- dsring adequate aervioe for the cornmoditles souqht to be transported by the contrsot~.carrler appli- oma.
*li has further been auggeate3 UB the Fortion of paragraph:
~*llkanisa, the Cotieslon shall hare ao authority to gant any oontraot carrier a;jplloation for tcie trahsporteticm 0r any oomoditiss in any territory or bet7feen any points where the existing oarrlsrs tirs r6r;&dnq, Gr ere oapable,of rendering, a rea%oheblJ adequate service in the trms- i>ortatlon of s.~ch cmmilties.~ refers only to spedltlimd zotor aaziers by the reicr- 6nce to existlzt~ oarriors.
"!+. 33az.e ;IdVl.56 33s If fhe tern 'axistin carriers' *3 Railroad CormnBaslon of Taxas, Qage 3
mane only specialized riotor carriers or doee it mean all oarriers under the auporvision of this Cora!Aleslon."
Cur answer to your firs& question is that evid- enoe tending to show that the exiatlng uarrlef is ready, able and willing to. obtain additional equipsent to improve hle serv- ioe would be admissible. The dlfrerenoe between ownerehlp of a truok and the ownership of mcneg with which a truok -might would go only to the weight of be pumhasod, in suoh a oase, the avidence.
Uiihm! the quoted language of' the jot, the aontraat aarrier permit mentioned ln your aeeond question should be denied. It that the contract terrier is exgresely provided applioetlonahall not be granted, cot 3rJy shere existirK are rendering reaeoaably adequate mmrIce, ‘sut also oarriers iienoe, we think tkrt where wnere they are OaFable of 80 doing. the exiatlnq oarricr uakes timely otter to inprove ita aervioe, oonvinoes the Commission and obtains fikdlngs he is fln- anola3J.y and phyaioally able to ryike suoh lmprovenent and will promptly da so, It 1s oontemplatsd Chfit such erietin& ocrrier or carriers shall be given the opprtunity to remedy the de- ftate in existing services so OS to .BEXKB the acme adequate. -‘ife are not to be understood, however, +a Raying that the mere deolaration of intention on the part of ,tha existicg carrier that he wlLl acquire additional equipment and remeby the de- z"eats In his serviae must necessarily be taken aa oonoluslve. Such a deolaxatlon or promise might be accepted by the Couuni~ depending upon the lndlvldual it ml&t be rejeated, aion or ease. Referring to your third question, the burden Is upon the ap;rliaant to show in the pleading8 and by su??orting proof that he should be granted the pernIt, iaoludlng the show- ing that exlstlw services are inadequate.
irur anewer to your f’ourth qusstlon is that the term Wexletlng oarriers,m aa used in paragraph (dj or -7ection 5a, d. ii. 351, has reference to all typea of carriers servinS There simply is nothing in the stat'lte lvhlah the territory. seems mqgeet to ue that ttle meaning or the term should be rotor oarriers. reatrlcted to speaislized