(a) The commission shall have authority to inquire into the management of the business of any common carrier and shall keep itself informed as to the manner and shall have the right to obtain from any common carrier all necessary information to enable the commission to perform the duties and carry out the objects for which it is created;
  (b) The commission shall cause to be prepared for the purposes designated in this act blanks which shall conform as nearly as practicable to the forms prescribed by the interstate commerce commission, and shall when necessary furnish such blanks to each common carrier. Any common carrier receiving from the commission any such blanks shall cause the same to be properly filled out so as to answer fully and correctly each question therein propounded, and in case it is unable to answer any question it shall give a full and sufficient reason for such failure; and said answer shall be verified under oath by the proper officer of said common carrier and returned to the commission at its office within the time fixed by the commission. The making of a false affidavit or the filing of the same shall be deemed perjury and punishable as such under the statutes of Michigan defining perjury;

Terms Used In Michigan Laws 462.28

  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
  • common carrier: as used in this act shall be construed to mean and embrace all corporations, companies, individuals, associations of individuals, their lessees, trustees or receivers appointed by any court whatsoever who now or may hereafter own, operate, manage or control as a common carrier in this state, any railroad or part of any railroad, whether operated by steam, electricity or other motive power, or cars or any other equipment used thereon, or bridges, switches, spurs, tracks, sidetracks, terminal facilities, or any docks, wharves or storage elevators used in connection therewith or any kind of terminal facilities used or necessary in the transportation of persons or property designated herein, and also all freight depots, yards and grounds used or necessary for the transportation or delivery of any said property and whether the same are owned by said railroad or otherwise; or any express company, car loaning companies, freight or freight line companies and all associations or persons, whether incorporated or otherwise, that shall do business as common carriers upon or over any line of railroads in this state, or any common carrier engaged in the transportation of passengers and property wholly by rail or partly by rail and partly by water. See Michigan Laws 462.3
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
  • oath: shall be construed to include the word "affirmation" in all cases where by law an affirmation may be substituted for an oath; and in like cases the word "sworn" shall be construed to include the word "affirmed". See Michigan Laws 8.3k
  • person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, as well as to individuals. See Michigan Laws 8.3l
  • railroad: as used in this act shall be construed to mean all railroads, whether operated by steam, electric or other motive power: Provided, That the provision of this act shall not apply to any logging or other private railroad not doing business as a common carrier: Provided further, Nothing in this act contained shall be construed to authorize the commission to interfere with, lessen or impair or to authorize the impairment of any franchise provision, contract or agreement as to rate of fare now existing between any municipality, city, village, or township and any tram railway, street railway, interurban or suburban railway company, or to increase or lessen the rate of fare fixed by such franchise, contract or agreement, or to deprive any tram railway, street railway, interurban or suburban railway company of the right to charge for the carriage of passengers the rate of fare authorized and fixed by any franchise, grant or contract made or entered into between any municipality, city, village or township and any such tram railway, street railway, interurban or suburban railway company; Provided further, That nothing in this act contained shall apply to street and electric railroads engaged solely in the transportation of passengers within the limits of cities or within a distance of 5 miles of the boundaries thereof. See Michigan Laws 462.3
  • seal: shall be construed to include any of the following:
  (a) The impression of the seal on the paper alone. See Michigan Laws 8.3n
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories belonging to the United States; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the district and territories. See Michigan Laws 8.3o
  • Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
    •   (c) The commission or any commissioner, or any person or persons employed by the commission for that purpose, shall, upon demand, have the right to inspect the books and papers of any common carrier, and to examine under oath any officer, agent or employe of such common carrier in relation to any matter which is the subject of complaint or investigation: Provided, That any person other than 1 of said commissioners who shall make such demand shall produce his authority to make such inspection under the hand of the commission or its secretary, and under the seal of said commission;
      (d) The commission may require by order or subpoena, to be served upon any common carrier in the same manner that a subpoena is served in a law action in the circuit court, the production within this state, at such time and place as it may designate, any books, papers or accounts relating to any matter which is the subject of complaint or investigation, kept by such railroad in any office or place without the state of Michigan, or verified copies in lieu thereof, if the commission shall so order, in order that an examination thereof shall be made by the commission or under its direction, and such subpoena may issue to any sheriff in any county of the state. Any common carrier failing or refusing to comply with such order or subpoena within a reasonable time shall for each day it shall so fail or refuse, forfeit and pay into the state treasury a sum of not less than 100 dollars nor more than 1,000 dollars, to be recovered in an action at law brought in the name of the Michigan railroad commission.
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