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i OFFICE OFTHE ATTORNEY GENERALOFT~
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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