Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1957 )

March 8, 1957 SenatorJep S. Fuller OpinionNo. WW-57A The Senateof the State of Texas Austin,Texas Re: Significanceof the word "paramount"88 ahown on Page 2 of the committee substitutefor Senate Dear SenatorFuller: Bill 100. Your requestfor en opinionof this office in your letter of February21, 1957, on the above subjectmatter Is in part as follows: "I am submittingherewiththe committeesubstitutefor SenateBill 100. "The TransportationCommitteedirectedme, as chairman, to refer this bill to your Departmentfor a rulingon.the significanceof the word 'paramount' on page 2 of the Com- mittee Substitutefor SenateBill 100." The part of the committeesubstitutefor SenateBill 100 per- tinentto your inquiryIs as follows: "2. It shall be the duty of the Commi$.onera to see that upon each railroadin this State carryingpaesengera for hire there shall be run at least one train each day, Sundaysexcepted,upon which paeeengersshall be hauled; provided,however,the Commlseionmay, in ita dlacretion, upon applicationfiled and after notice and hearing,re- lax such requirementa8 to any railroad,or part, portion or branch thereof,when, (1) in its opinion,public con- veniencepermitsof such relaxation,and ahall relax such requirementwhen it appearsupon such hearingthat the -ing of one train each day, Su~@%ynexcepted,1s not necessaryin the renditionof adequateserviceto the pub- lic; and, when, (2) in its opinion,that on any railroad, or part, or portlonor branch thereof,passengerservice as frequenta8 one train each day, Sundaysexcepted,with the passengertrafficofferedand reasonablyto be ex- pected, does not and will not pay the cost of such serv- ice plus a reasonablereturnupon the propertyemployed in the renditionof such service;provided,however,that the public convenienceand the adequacyof the serviceto the public shall alwaysbe a paramountconsiderationin determiningwhether or not the requirementof operating - . SenatorJep S. Fuller,Page 2 (WW-57A) at least one train a day shallbe relaxedbecausethe cost of such serviceis not yieldinga reasonablereturn upon the propertyemployedin the renditionof euch servicei * . 01, Article 10, Section1, Vernon'sCivil Statutes,directsthat in the constructionof all civil statutoryenactments"the ordinarynig- niflcatlonshall be appliedto words, exceptwords of art or worde con- nectedwith a particulartrade or subjectmatter,when they shall have the signification attachedto them by expertsin such art or trade,with referenceto such subjectmatter." Since the word "paramount"ie not a word of art or a word connected.witha particulartrade or subject matter,the ordinarysignification must be applied. s ie definedas follows: The term "paramount "Adj. Having a higher or the~highestrank or juria- diction;superiorto all others;chief; supreme;preemi- nent -- often with to; as, a duty paramountto all. Syn. -- see dominant." Webster'sNew International Dictionary, SecondEdition,Page 1773. "1. Possessingor pertainingto the highesttitle or jurisdiction;supremein authority;as a paramountchief; paramountrule. 2. Possessingthe highestdegreeof im- portance;superiorto all others;supremelycontrolling; as paramountobligations;a paramountnecessity. 3. Su- perior;higher: used prepositionally.Sny. chief, emi- nent, foremost,preeminent,principal,superior,supreme." Funk and Wagcell'sNew StandardDictionaryof the English Language,Page 1792. "Higher;superior;preeminent;of the highestrank or nature. It is a word frequentlyused in ordinarylife, and having no technicalor legal significancecallingfor a discrimination in the nicetiesof the meaning involved in the differentideas that may be drawn from a given situ- ation." Volume 67 of CorpusJuris Secundum,Page 558. The writer has carefullycheckedand has found no Texas Court decisionconstruingthe word "paramount“. Some courts in other juria- dictionshave judiciallydefinedthe word accordingto informationsta- ted in Words and Phrases,PermanentEdition,Volume 31, Page 53 and 1956 PocketParts. These judicialdefinitionsconformwith the above diction- ary and encyclopediadefinitions, It is clear that the word "paramount"given its ordinarysig- nificationrefersto somethingthat is superior;higher;preeminent; above all; of highestrank or nature. This necessarilyconveysthe idea that the consideration of the public convenienceand the adequacyof . - Senator Jep 5. Fuller,Page 3 (WV-57A) the~renice to the uublia shall be a ruDerior oomaiderationam oanpared with the oonelderationor the 00843of operationmhem the oclrieaionie seekingto determinewhether or not to relax the requirementof operat- u at leant one train a day. We we of the opinion,however,that the above MBtiOUed pro- vie0 which omtalne the word wpararmat* ie, in effect, meaninglses for the r0ihfingr08mif3: Artiole 6479, sought to be amended,providedthat the Railroad Camuiesicmcould relax in the requirementor runningat least one pas- aenger train each day "when, in ite opinion,public conveniencepermite of such relaxationend ehall relax such reqnirsmemtwhen it appeareupon such hearing that the nmnimg of one train each day, Sundaysexcepted: is notneoeseary in the renditionof adequateserviceto the public, z that on any railroador pert or portionor branch thereof,passenger serviceas frequentas one train each day, Sundaysexoepted,with the passengertrafficofferedor reaeonablyto be expecteddoes not and will not pay the eoet of suoh eenice plus a reeeonable return upon the proa- erty employedin the renditionof such eervloe." Under the proposedbill, the words "and,when (2) in lte opin- ion" has been substitutedfor the word "or" which is underlinedabove, sothat under the proposedbill the RailroadCcenmission before it per- mite the relaxationof servicemust find (1) that publicconvenience permitsof suoh releae.t.ion end that the nmning of one traineaoh day, exceptSunday, is not neoeesaryIn the renditionof adequateservice to the public;and also must find (2) that the paesengertrafficof- fered and reasonablyto be expecteddoes not and will not pay the cost of such serviceplus a reasonablereturnupon the propertyemployedin the renditionof such service. If the RailroadCommissionmust make affirmativefindingson both of these issues,it appears to be Wuaterialwhich ehall be given~ paremountconsideration.Affirmativefindingsmuet be m&e on eech ia- sue and if an affixmative~ findingon each iaaue is required,it is whol- ly ixmatsrialwhichthe Commissionooneidereof greatestimportance. Opinionho. UW-57 dated March 8, 1957, is withdrawnand this opinionis substitutedin lieu thereof. The word "paramoant"as used on page 2 of the Can- mittee Substitutefor SenateBill 100 conveysthe idea thattheconsiderationof the public conven- ience and the adequacy of the serviceto the pub- lic shall be a superiorconsideration a8 compared with the considerationof the cost of operation when the camaissionis seekingto determinewheth- SenatorJep 5. Fuller,Page 4 (WV-57A) er or not to relcu the requirementof operatingat lea&one paamga@r tra*ada~. Howemr, the Bill prowieovkioh ooat#~ the word "parmount" in, In effieot,meaningle68. WILL WIISOR WILL WIISOR Attoryy General Attorney BY dweml A. Ca!aree Aesimtant OPDIICle COkQdI!mm H. WadyChandler,Chainwa~