Sec. 10.
(a) Every common carrier subject to the provisions of this act shall file with the commission created by this act and print and keep open to public inspection in each of its depots and offices, schedules showing all rates, fares and charges for transportation, both of passengers and property, between different points on its own route, and between points on its own route and on the route of any other carrier, when a through route and joint rate have been established. If no joint rate over the through route has been established, the several carriers in such through route shall file, print and keep open to public inspection as aforesaid the separately established rates, fares and charges applied to the through transportation. The schedules printed as aforesaid by any common carrier, shall plainly state the places between which property and passengers will be carried and shall contain the classification of freight in force and shall also state separately all terminal charges, storage charges, icing charges and all other charges which the commission may require, all privileges or facilities granted or allowed and any rules or regulations which in any wise change, affect or determine any part of or the aggregate of such aforesaid rates, fares and charges, or the value of the service rendered to the passengers, shipper or consignee: Provided, That where local switching tariffs are in effect at a competitive point, it shall be sufficient if the schedule state that the terminal charges shall be subject to the rules of such local switching tariffs. Such schedules shall be printed plainly in large type, and copies for the use of the public shall be kept on file for public inspection in every depot, station or office of such carrier where passengers or freight respectively are received for transportation or where tickets are sold, in such form that they will be accessible to the public and can conveniently be inspected. The provisions of this section shall apply to all traffic and transportation and facilities defined in this act;
(b) No change shall be made in the schedule of rates, fares or charges or joint rates, fares or charges which have been filed and published by common carriers in compliance with the requirements of this section, except after 30 days' notice to the commission and to the public published as aforesaid, which shall plainly state the changes proposed to be made in the schedule of rates, fares or charges or joint rates, fares or charges then in force and the time when such changed rates, fares or charges or joint rates, fares or charges will go into effect, and no such rates, fares or charges or joint rates, fares or charges shall be discontinued, except after giving such notice as is required for changing rates, fares or charges or joint rates, fares or charges, and the proposed changes in such rates, fares or charges or joint rates, fares or charges shall be shown by printing and filing new tariffs thereto or by showing such changes or discontinuance by issuing and filing of supplements in the regular manner now provided and keeping same open to public inspection: Provided, That the commission may, in its discretion and for good cause shown, allow changes upon less time than the notice herein specified, or modify the requirements in this section in respect to publishing, posting and filing of tariffs, either in particular instances or by general order applicable to special or peculiar circumstances or conditions: Provided further, That upon the filing with the commission by a common carrier of any tariff or supplement showing any change in rates, fares or charges or joint rates, fares or charges or a discontinuance of any rate or rates, fares or charges or joint rates, fares or charges, it shall be lawful for the said commission and it is hereby authorized, acting upon its own initiative or upon complaint, to postpone the date when such new rate or rates or joint rates, fares or charges or discontinuance of rate or rates or joint rates, fares or charges, shall become effective to such time not to exceed in all 45 days as shall give the said commission opportunity to investigate the reasonableness of such proposed rate or rates or discontinuance of rate or rates, and it shall thereupon be lawful for said commission and it is hereby authorized to proceed with all convenient speed with an investigation upon at least 5 days' notice to said common carrier either upon its own initiative or upon complaint as to the reasonableness of said rate or rates or the discontinuance of said rate or rates, follow the procedure as near as may be, and make its order therein in the manner hereinafter provided in section 22 of this act, such investigation to take precedence of all matters of a different nature pending before the commission;
(c) The names of the several carriers which are parties to any joint tariff shall be specified therein and each of the parties thereto, other than the one filing the same, shall file with the commission such evidence of concurrence therein or acceptance thereof as may be required or approved by the commission, and where evidence of concurrence or acceptance is filed it shall not be necessary for the carriers filing the same to also file copies of the tariffs in which they are named as parties;
(d) The commission may determine and prescribe the form in which the schedules required by this section to be kept open to the public inspection shall be prepared and arranged and may change the form from time to time as may be found expedient;
(e) Such schedules shall, so far as is practicable, conform to the forms prescribed by the interstate commerce commission;
(f) No carrier, unless otherwise provided by this act, shall engage or participate in the transportation of passengers or property as defined in this act, unless the rates, fares and charges upon which the same are transported by said carrier have been filed and published in accordance with the provisions of this act, nor shall any carrier charge or demand or collect or receive a greater or less or different compensation for such transportation of passengers or property or for any service in connection therewith between the points named in such fares and charges which are specified in the tariff filed and in effect at the time; nor shall any carrier refund or remit in any manner or by any device any portion of the rates, fares and charges so specified, nor extend to any shipper or person any privilege or facilities in the transportation of persons or property, except such as are specified in such tariff;
(g) Within 2 years after the delivery of any shipment of freight at destination, and not after, any person aggrieved may complain to the commission that the charge exacted for the transportation of such freight between points in Michigan is irregular or exorbitant, and thereupon the commission shall have power to investigate such complaint, and to hear the same and to decide upon the merits thereof, in the manner provided by section 22 of this act. If, upon such hearing, the commission shall decide that the rate or charge exacted is irregular or exorbitant it shall find what, in its judgment, would have been a reasonable rate or charge for the service complained of. If the rate or charge so found shall be less than the charge exacted and the commission shall determine that any party complainant is entitled to an award of damages under the provisions of this act for a violation thereof, the commission shall make an order authorizing and directing the carrier to pay the complainant the sum to which he is entitled on or before a day named. In case of the refusal of the carrier to make such refund, the party aggrieved thereby may maintain an action in the courts of this state to recover the amount of such excessive charge as found by said commission, and in the trial thereof the findings of the commission shall be prima facie evidence of the truth of the facts found by it, and no carrier shall be permitted to avail itself in the defense of such action that the shipment involved was in fact made on the published tariff rate in force at the time such shipment was made, but no carrier making a refund upon the order of the commission or pursuant to a judgment of court as herein provided, shall be liable for any penalty or forfeiture, or subject to any prosecution under the laws of this state on account of making such refund;
(h) In time of war or threatened war preference and precedence shall, upon the demand of the governor of the state, be given over all other traffic to the transportation of troops and material of war, and carriers shall adopt every means within their control to facilitate and expedite the military traffic;
(i) Every common carrier within this state shall within 90 days, unless further time be granted by the commission, file in the office of the commission copies of all schedules of rates, including joint rates in force on its line or lines between points within this state on the date this act takes effect, not previously filed by such carrier with the Michigan railroad commission.
History: 1909, Act 300, Eff. Sept. 1, 1909 ;-- Am. 1911, Act 139, Imd. Eff. Apr. 25, 1911 ;-- CL 1915, 8118 ;-- Am. 1923, Act 256, Eff. Aug. 30, 1923 ;-- CL 1929, 11026 ;-- CL 1948, 462.10