Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

, : : i i i OFFICE OFTHE ATTORNEY GENERALOFT~ I AUSTIN Honcreble James Z. Kllbay, slreator Rotor Tmnsportatlon Division Railroad Oomdsslon of Texas hmtln, Texas Dear Sir; Opinion No. O-4007 Rer Under the rt30t.6set r0eh, 1s it mandatory upon the Railroad Ccmmleslonto @rent wtlon r0r oral argument on the eppllcs- tlon by a person to operate motor rehloles for blre over the pub110 hi&ways? Ve bave your letter of September 18, 194l, wherein pm met aut ths r0iming raata; "1 am directed by the Railroad Coennleeion or Terse to request your opinion on the r0ii0wing Question: *Asrumlng that on6 of the Examiners In the Yotor~TraneportatlonDlrlsionof the Railroad Oom- x&salon of Texas hears an sppllost:onby s person to operate motor vehloles for hire over the bigh- ways of Texas; and vseudng that the aourt reporter trensarlbeshis notea of the lvldenoe sdduoed at suoh hearing snd delivers such transoript to the Exasalnerfor his ufilirutlon in msklng 8 report -andrsco:.mndationto the Conmlseions&to what dlspoeltfonshould be made of the prooeedlngsgand eeeuMng that neither one of the Railroad Corm&- sloners of Texsa ma present at the hearing and, therefore,did not view tbe witnesses cmd did not hGar any or then testify: end aasting that, while the reoord end transorlptare with the rxamlner prior to the tlae that he orakeohis report end reooqmndetlon to the Co&ssion 9s to what dim- position should be mede of the prooeedlnga;and aosumlng thet, during such ttlaewblle the reoord 1s thus in the hendo of the 2xsmlner prior to Honorable Janea E. Xlldag, Dlreatsr, Page 2 presentationOr tha seae to the CoPrml#alon, amin lntareatedpmty rrhoappear84 at the hsarlag aad partlalpatedtherein ahould rile s motion with ths Railroad CaamAsaion praying that auoh lntor- estad party b a a llo wedto lrg\u the oaae orally before the Comwlaslonera,or a quorum thareof, oontendingthat, unlasa auoh oral arm& mre grsnted and llatened to by the Comlaalon, he the movant, would rorevar be deprlvad or hi8 df berore the Cmmlaaion,-then and in that avent and under auoh oirawtanoea, ia it mandatory upon tha Commlaalon to grant the motion Car 0-1 argument before the Gom.laalontR ~OEJ this atata or root8 you aubdt t0 us the tol- loul~ queatianr Under tha r80t8 set rwth, la it unaatory UQO~ thu RailrOad Ommiaalon to grant Biotlsnror oral argument on the lp p lla a tlo br ln peraon to operate motor rehiolea ior hlra wer the publie hfghmya? Art1010 pllb, Seotlon 12(a) Or the Revlaed Cltil f3tdut.a of Texas, 1925, la 88 tollawar *Tha hearing on aa l ppllsatlonror oertirf- oate or portit shall ba ocmduatadUnder 6ooh rulea. and regulationsas the CasPaiaalon tip preaorlbe, and the parties Interestad,lnoludlng tha Xi&may Coprmiraionor this Rtate, may rppear elthsr La person or by oounasl end present auah orlaenoe and arggnment aa they nay desire aad 88 the De missIonmay deem pertlnent,lnrw0r or or lg a lnr t tha granting or auah applioation. . . .* Seotlon U(a) or Art1018Pllb, 68 amended by the aatq of the 1937 45th Lbgialatuxw,pege 505, ohapter 255, aaotion 1 provide8 aa rollowa8 The as6nn5.oalo~,or any aaaberthsMOi, op:: authorhod reprerentetiveor examiner or the oaa- mi~alon,shall have pmver to oomp0 the attendanoa or wltneeaes, swear wltnesaea, take th%ir tsrlti- many under oath, make reoord thereof, sad it auah Honorable Tames E. Ellday, Director, Page 3 reoord Is mada under the dlreotlon of a eda- sloner, or authorizedrepresentatlreor examiner or the oomnisalon,a majority or the acamlsalon my, upon the reoord, render judgment. aa if the oaae had been bad before e majority of the mea- berm or the oomnlsalon.w Under the prwlalons of ths ebors rtstutes 6s quoted it 1s the opinion or this department that the oomalralon ha@ the pomr to presorlbe auoh rut88 and regulatlonmwith reapeot to hearln6m berore It or betore one or lta ex*tiera aa It may deerpexpadlent so long 68 suoh rules and regulationaan reaaonebleand do not deprive an interestedp6rty of hi6 right to ralrly present the natter in oontroveray. As we understand it, under the t6ots preeented in your letter, all of the erl- dehoe la the mattsr was presentedbefore the exsnlner and petl- tloner waa aoeorded 6 rull, iair and oomplete hearing. This being the oaae, it Is our opinion, and you sireso advlaed, that the matter or cllowlng or61 arguments St this stage of tba pro- oeodlnga be&ore the oomlsslon of a majorltr or the xiumbera thereof la a.~queatlon that la addressed to the tmund ~dlaaretlon of the o~aalon and the Brentzingof auoh request is not man- datory. Rodrlquea Y. Priest, 126 8. W. ll87, MoNn&h Y'.Peak, 29 Tex. l&l. Truatlng thgt'thia 6nawera your queetlon fully, we Ver y tr u ly yowra A!lTORBRYO~ OFTEXM FIRST ASSISTANT ATTORNEY Gl!J%RAL BY