THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONS ACT required to submit an annual report to the legislature containing copies of all orders issued, as well as information deemed of value to the legislature and to the people, together with abstracts of reports made by corporations subject to the act and accom panied by recommendations as to such new legislation as it deems wise or necessary in the public interest. Furthermore, the Com missioners are directed to give hearing and take testimony as to the advisability of any proposed change of law relating to common carriers or railroad or street rail road corporations, if requested to do so by the Legislature or either Committee on Railroads, or by the Governor, and may conduct such a hearing when so requested by any person or corporation, and shall report its conclusions to those requesting the investigation. The act defines the meaning of various terms used, such as "railroad," "street rail road," "street railroad corporation," "rail road corporation, " "gas corporation," "elec trical corporation, " "transportation of prop erty or freight," and "common carrier." The term "common carrier" is defined as including "all railroad corporations, street railroad corporations, express companies, car companies, sleeping car companies, freight companies, freight line companies, and all persons and associations of persons, whether incorporated or not, operating such agencies for public use in the conveyance of persons or property within this State." The term "transportation of property for freight" is defined as including "any service in connection with the receiving, delivery, elevation, transfer in transit, ventilation, refrigeration, icing, storage and handling of the property and freight transported." The jurisdiction, supervision, powers and duties of the two Commissions are distri buted as follows: Those of the first district (New York City) are to extend (i) to railroads and street railroads lying exclusively within that district, and to persons or corporations
415
owning, leasing, controlling or operating the same. (2) To street railroads any portion of whose lines lies within the district, to all transportation -of persons or property there on within the district, or from a point within either district to a point within the other district, and to persons or corporations own ing, operating, controlling or leasing them, provided, however, that the Commission for the Second District shall have jurisdiction of such portion of the lines of such street railroads as lies within the second district, so far as concerns their construction, main tenance, equipment, terminal facilities and local transportation facilities. (3) To such portion of the lines of any other railroad as lies within that district so far as concerns the maintenance, equip ment, terminal facilities and local transpor tation facilities to persons or property within the district. (4) To any common carrier operating or doing business exclusively within the dis trict. (5) To the manufacture, sale and distri bution of gas and electricity for light, heat and power, and to the persons or corpora tions owning, leasing, operating or control ling the same. (6) All the powers under the Rapid Transit Act. The Commission of the Second District is given all jurisdiction, supervision, powers and duties under the act, not specifically granted to the Public Service Commission of the First District, including the regulation and control of all transportation of persons or property and the instrumentalities con nected with such transportation on any railroad other than a street railroad from a point within either district to a point within the other district. All salaries and expenses of the Commis sion of the Second District are to be paid by the State, as are the salaries and expenses of the Commissioners of the First District and its counsel and secretary. All other
