the processing of all appeals to the Appel-
late Courts, and legal assistance to all indi-
gent inmates who have legal problems
concerning their incarceration. The law ap-
plies only to representation in or respect to
the courts of Maryland. He must submit
a report annually to the Board of Trustees
and the Governor and General Assembly.
The system commenced operation on Jan-
uary 1, 1972 (Code 1957, 1971 Repl. Vol.,
1975 Supp., Art. 27A).
Staff: 1975, 252; 1976, 275;
1977,271.
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
Chairman: Thomas J. Hatem, 1982
Michael Darr Barnes, 1978; William S.
Baldwin, 1980; Vacancy, 1982; Vacancy,
1982.
James A. Pine, General Counsel
John K. Keane, Jr., People's Counsel
Frank J. Wasowicz, Executive Secretary
John W. Dorsey, Chief Engineer
Marshall E. Stokely, Chief Auditor
Joseph S. A. Giardina, Director of
Transportation
301 W. Preston Street,
Baltimore 21201 Telephone: 383-2374
The Public Service Commission of Mary-
land was established by Chapter 180, Acts
of 1910. The Commission consists of five
Commissioners, appointed by the Governor
with the advice and consent of the Senate,
one of whom is designated as Chairman
(Chapter 756, Acts of 1976). The five
Commissioners serve for six-year terms with
the Chairman and two Commissioners being
full time and two Commissioners may be
part time. The General Counsel of the Com-
mission is an attorney-at-law of this State
and is appointed by and serves at the pleas-
ure of the Commission (Chapter 756, Acts
of 1976), The Public Service Commission
has jurisdiction over common carriers, in-
cluding steam and electric railroads, sleeping
car companies, bus lines, express companies,
steamboat companies, power boats, ferry
companies, carriers by aircraft, toll bridges,
and all carriers, generally, engaged in the
public transportation of passengers or freight |
within the State of Maryland, except those
carriers of passengers which come within
the jurisdiction of the Washington Metro-
politan Area Transit Commission (Acts
1959, Ch. 613); and over all taxicabs op-
erating in the City of Baltimore, Baltimore
County, Cumberland, and Hagerstown. In
addition, the Commission licenses the taxi-
cab drivers in Baltimore City. The telegraph,
water, sewage disposal, heating and refrig-
erating companies operating within the State
The Commission has the power to fix both
minimum and maximum rates and to sus-
pend schedules pending the determination
of the reasonableness of the proposed rates.
Public utilities may not abandon or discon-
tinue the exercise of any franchise without
permission of the Commission. The Com-
mission tests all gas and electric meters
before installation; it also tests previously
installed meters at the request of the con-
sumer. It maintains a laboratory in which
it makes daily tests of gas furnished in the
City of Baltimore. It also makes regular and
frequent tests of the gas and electricity
furnished in other parts of the State, It hears
matters relative to (1) rate adjustments;
(2) applications to exercise franchise; (3)
approval of issuance of securities: (4) pro-
mulgation of new rules and regulations; (5)
quality of utility and common carrier serv-
ice; and (6) railroad safety. The Commis-
sion has the authority to issue a Certificate
of Convenience and Necessity in connection
with an electric utility's application to con-
struct a new generating station or transmis-
sion lines of a certain capacity (Code 1957,
1975 Repl. Vol., Art. 78, sees. 1-107).
The Commission is also authorized to
make joint investigations, hold joint hear-
ings, and issue joint or other concurrent
orders in conjunction with any official board
or commission of any state or the Federal
government under agreements and compacts
between states, under the concurrent powers
of states to regulate interstate commerce as
an agency of the Federal government, or
otherwise (Code 1957, 1969 Repl. Vol.,
Art. 78, sec. 59). The Public Service Com-
mission is also represented on joint boards
created by the Interstate Commerce Com-
mission under the Federal Motor Carriers |
