Game Breeders.

C. J. McPhail .. . . Gwynnbrook
Brady C. Bounds .. .. . .. Salisbury
Frederick Hacker, Assistant Game Breeder . . Gwynnbrook

THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC
UTILITIES

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION.
Munsey Building, Baltimore, Md.

O. E. Weller (Chairman) ..... .. .. ..1941 .. ... ..... Baltimore
Steuart Purcell .. ................1939 .. .... . Baltimore
Edmund Budnitz ....... 1943 Baltimore

Harold E. West, Examiner and Assistant to Commission, Severna Park
Frank Harper, Executive Secretary . ....... . Baltimore
Paul L. Holland, Chief Engineer ...... .. ... .. Baltimore
John C. Masson, Chief Auditor ...... ..... .. .. Baltimore
J. Purdon Wright, General Counsel (1941) .. .. ... Baltimore
E. Austin James, People's Counsel .... .. ........... Frederick

The Public Service Commission of Maryland was created by Chapter
180 of the Acts of 1910, effective April 5, 1910.

The Governor appoints the three members of the Commission, one
of whom he designates as Chairman. The term of office is six years,
and the term of one Commissioner expires every two years. The Gov-
ernor also appoints the General Counsel to the Commission for a term
of six years.

The Commission has jurisdiction over steam and electric railroads,
street railways, common carriers generally, including all railroad cor-
porations. express companies, sleeping car companies, steamboat, power
boat and ferry companies, toll bridges and also motor vehicles engaged
in the public transportation of passengers and freight. The Commis-
sion also has jurisdiction over gas companies, electric companies, tele-
phone companies, telegraph companies, water companies and heating
and refrigerating companies. The jurisdiction of the Commission is
limited to operations within the State of Maryland.

The supervision and jurisdiction of the Commission covers the serv-
ice furnished, the rates charged, the capitalization, the issue of stocks,
bonds, and other securities, the right to exercise franchises granted by
the counties and by the cities the right to fix rates for service and to
fix standards for service, and general supervisory and regulatory pow-
ers over the utilities subject to its jurisdiction. In the exercise of this
supervision and jurisdiction, it is the purpose of the Commission to
insure and maintain to the public safe and adequate service, at just
and reasonable rates, without unjust discrimination.

The Commission is given power to investigate and ascertain the fair
value of the property of corporations subject to its jurisdiction.

An annual report showing the financial conditions and operations of
each utility under its jurisdiction is required to be filed with the Com-
mission.

By legislation enacted subsequent to the original Act, the Commis-
sion has been given power to fix minimum as well as maximum rates,
to suspend schedules of rates pending the determination of the reason-
ableness of the rates proposed, and utilities are forbidden to abandon