Harrisburg, Penn'a, January 11th, 1909. TO HONORABLE EDWIN S. Stuart, Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In compliance with the requirements of the Act of the General Assembly, approved May 31, 1907, creating the Pennsylvania State Railroad Commission, that Commission respectfully submits herewith a report of its work from the date of its organization, February 5, 1908, to December 31, 1908. Organization of the Department: Immediately after its organization the Commission appointed as Secretary, Mr. Harry S. Calvert, of Pittsburg; as Attorney, Mr. William Harrison Allen, of Warren; and as Marshal, Mr. John P. Dohoney, of Harrisburg, which appointments were duly approved by you. Much of the time which has elapsed since the Commissioners assumed the duties of their office has necessarily been consumed in organizing this new department of the State government, in the preparation and adoption of forms for gathering the information which might be required and of rules of practice for the orderly presentation and proper hearing and disposition of complaints, as well as the assembling of an efficient office force, and the adoption of a comprehensive and workable system for the conduct of the office business. In the meantime complaints and inquiries were being constantly received and attended to, but it is believed that the Commission alone experienced the inconvenience due to the circumscribed facilities and disadvantageous conditions of this formative period. Without any predecessor in this State, without any sufficient data respecting the common carriers subject to its jurisdiction and without any equipment for its labors or any means to determine what would be the scope and amount of the work demanded of it, the wise course to pursue, and the one followed was to develop the organization only as the work developed and not to install any greater office force or larger equipment than from time to time was shown to be useful and necessary. Careful consideration has been given to the preparation of a complete register, compiled from original records, of the various common carriers described in the Act creating the Commission, the ascertainment of the location of the principal office of such carriers and the names of those officials with whom the business of the 1-27-1908 |