Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1942 )

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
wb hare mrefully 00
1912, rhioh rbada ar follourr
“Mb, the under81
of ‘fbXN, do berob
fachual eLtua
ion groundbd
fror thi8 Oorrirllon
ority to uao
the hlghvaytl of Texa8 in intermtrte emrob for
the transportation of per8on8 for hire under the
Motor Bus Lav OS Tsxar.
"With aore particularity, the f8otm are now
given to you a8 follovs~
‘$&,,ti - Of tOXal< mb 2
“The Qephart Emplo)arsnt Agenoy, of San Antonio,
TbXIL8, ia e lioenmd jppplgrant labor agent with
the Labor Board of the State of Texas and 1~ prb-
abntly operating under CbPtiiioste 100, 16 Issued
to It by the state Labor Board. Qephart ham ap-
pro*tblr 30 8genta or bmplo~a, v0rkl.q In the
Counties of Dal-, Dlmmlt, Eldalgo, Haverlok,
Yubcba, Val Vbrdb, Webb, Eavalla, El Paao, and U
Sbllb, bngaged in thb solioltation of imm.igrrnt
;e$ooa;r the Qreat Wbatbm Sugar Comm of Dmver,
agents arb paid a salary
B a c ho f la l;d
tar the& vork by thb Qbphart Bmplogrent -op.
‘A prrtioular a&ant of the Qejbart -lop-
mat Agenop vlll, for bxbmplo, aontabt a number
of Nbx.laan laborer in Meroedba; bnd, if the Hbzl-
aan laborer8 are agrowble to go to tha augar beat
tiI3hb in OIib Of thb evlousl~ nambd atstbo, maid
agent will give maid G box-bra the right to go by
their ovn prlv4te vehtole to San Antonlo, or the
Qbphart Ediploymnt agbnay vi11 pay the tranbporta-
tion eoat of transporting sold laborer8 over &
duly authorltbd paaacm&br carrier from Msraedba
to San Antonio.
“In the event the laborer doe8 not 6ove over
a duly authorlEad obrrler from Hbroedea to &an
Antonio, you are to aaetaae that he mwee by a pri-
vate vehiole and that there ii no oompbnbatlon or
for hire eleaent involved,--the vehlolb In eaah
ruoh Ubtanob bblonging to some ona of the labor-
ers mbkjng the trip.
Rvhen maid laborers have rbaohed the Qbphart
$ntplO~bnt &t?llOy iLl 88n hltOILi0 th4J -8 O@A88i-
fied 88 to the points and lQoalltls8 in vhiah th@?
dealre to engage in the sugar bebt vtmk.
‘Thereaf’ter, Qephart Z@slomnt Agemy vi11
permit thb head of a fbmll~, who la the owner of a
passenger vehlole or motor trwk of vhloh he ia then
rmd there the Lavf!al ovner and the holdbr of the
osrtilloatb Of titlb t0 oeid VbhiOlb, t0 tra338port
himself axadthb metuber oihla f’amilyfrom%anAn-
tonio, Texae to loam one point in ox@ ol the above
Rallraad Coml.aalon0r Tbxaa, pago 3
namd at8tear llw ovmr oi thb robbOb u vbll
am the lumbersOS him iemily, rlll, upon maah-
hgtheir dbatS.nati~, al go to vork in QM of
the sugar beet fieldsin bald lobalit and, for
thb purpoaoa of thla oplnio~, tbbp vl 91 not rb-
turn to thb State of Tbxar. For lubh truuporta-
tlon the Qqahut~lopnt``pr)r the owmr
or thb rehiole#lO.OOfor l8eh m8bbr 0r bib
Suoilrover tha -0 ol 14 -8 th8t na tmna-
ported in bald vohlolo,--which bald amaunt is
olaimbdto bb for thb bxpbnu o? thb trip. IR
eaoh lnatanoeenlf OM trip k aa& by a guti-
oplar ownbr of the nhiole and hr anly tranaporta
h&iua~hndt~neiabaraortbaf~lJo~phLoh
.
'For the vork deno bf tihbeb porsena rittJ@
rbaohbg thhr db@tlMtiOR thbp Pb paid 80 moh
pbr aore over a glvon dbSlnit* pbrlod of tl8b at
thbbndofrhiahthb~arb~dabanub and,thbro-
a fter ,th b p lr b fr b o to g o vhb r b th y ifk b .
“First
“QbghPrt Llbev &blWJ, tie tradb PUI, fOP
&me Qbph*rt, hating 80 authorit fra this Bop-
liralenOS aiqkind, 70'0~M mq\watbd to give ua
pouropinianaato vhethororaottbi8 Oarrirafon
aan atop him olthbr by iajunotionor by eMahal
proaboutlan.
"Qrbat Wbatern sugar Daqartp, a terb&gn aar-
poration, having PO PUthOritY fro0 this Ooamiaalon
0r my kiad to tameport parnab ?a for him, deba
this Comlaalon hate thb jurir 3Fatian to prwbud
w&ainat it or its agbnta bithbr by arimlml proabou-
tlon or by injunotlve prooeedbga’l
‘Third
'las hbad of the faslly,harm DO authority
of any kind from tW.8 Comdralon to transportpaa-
aengbra for l&b, deem this QamlaaiQn h4ro jurla-
dlotlonto pewbed agaInat him .Sthba by brin%nal
proaboutlon or by injunotivb prOObbdbg8t
ullrom3 C6mlaalon of Tbua, page 4
“I?, uld in th6 bV.lit Jolul UUW t0 OIiO
or tDre of the above qudoaa is in th6 urinu-
tire, thbn please 8-t to aa a re 0 lalnt
or indiotamnt abarging maid raon vith a7v ol8-
tlon of Artlalbglla, VwnonPa &UIOtatbd B;vll
Statutoa, rNoh raid inbiotmnt w oanplrlnt vould
in pow oplaha, tithatanda lb& teat betor thb
oourta of this state.
"In tidltionto the abtirltibaor thb Qbphart
aploment hgonop, thore lr alao locukhdat San
htopio, Texas,l b b w wzwp wnb d a a U 6pbrated
by Y. P. A6oata end opratrd under t& tra& name
of A6oata I Agenep. Phi8 partioolulwnop la
Ukbvlae bngagod in th6 bulbearn o? lolloiting
and proour* lmmlgraat labarera, moatlp WrxUaa,
fort&J sugar fibldn located in th6 peoioualy
mbntltmbtl
atrtea.
“Thb plan of opocatUn of the Ameta L&w
Agbnopla rombvhatdM?erbat fru that of the QQ~-
hart maplopmbnt&baoy.
“The Aaoata Ubw A~enep haa mama 300 agbnta
eaplopd ia dl??erentoountleawitbin the Mate o?
Texas who a?e eqpged In t&e bualaea~a of lo lh %t-
b a g
a ml
p r o o wing
imaigraat la b wwa fw th bsu g a r
bbbt oupaniea &mated ia the above nud at&tom.
Phase agents do not r eo elvb l lposiiied balmy far
their aerrloea but are pcld on the bada of the
numbw of laborers vhioh the7 OOwb and deliver,
--
the per oapita rate b6lag #LO r pw head, @.oO
pw head, or $2.50 pbrhead, dqbndlxq on thb dla-
tame ?rcm the point of poarpbmnt to 8az3 Antonio.
lJnuc6th6 Qephartmploynnt A$enoj,the p~obure-
abnt agbatr fw Aeoata, at the reveral poiata of
proaurwbnt, lnfw81pbrmau oowbd by t&m at
pointsof proowbment just di C thbfr dbatlnatlon
la to be: and tbao 3abwera knov vhbre they are
going bbfwb timp ever leave hbm6.
Qhbn a partioular *bat ooatrota and roowea
a givennumber 0r 18borbra in uar onb loo8s tp, he
vi11 tranbpoa-tuld l8bcwbPa in hla avn 6ar to 8bn
Antonio,Texaaj and, tar lubh 8elrvlloo8,
hb till re-
oelvb $1.00,&?.OO,oc &Ze.50, dbpbadingupan the dta-
t-00 botubll~travrrbdto MA Antonio;bad he vlll
Rake only one trip.
milraaU Ctwiraioa of Tw, pbgb 5
“After thb laborore rbaeh 8an Aatonio the
Ip
U dM b r ub uq uent
a r 6o la a a l?iba Ua Ulx a mlnb W&
to 80~ poinaIn oae of the lbovb aamd
tr a nsp o r ted
Staten in the follovingmaaner:
'TheALcoda Ubm &eno;r will takb the Vbhi-
cle owned by oae mubbr of tha goup to be traaa-
pWtQd,--rod Of Whbh VbhlOlb uld m i0 thba ti
th6r8 th. lb@ bMbP,-- md rill By to 8ald
labororowninguid vehiolo#lo.00for each mbmbw
o?thb?amllpo?rhi6hhblathehudm6viag6n
aald vohlolb, whieh 8aid amouat ir doalgnatod u
tr8vel6xpua808. I? in 8dUitlanto the 86mbbra
of the drlver’r?a&, thwo are othw laboera
mavlng in th6 808b vohiolo,tbp mave frbe.
Qn Od0r that 00~ ltatbmat ma b8 pbrrootly
o&w to you, vo give you th6 foil OYI ng bxuplQ,
“Ia the *rant l labww la th b o va w
of a vehlolemad ir a
aevba, the A6orta Ubw Agbaeptill
ovaw and labwer #&A0 u lspoaas or tranaporta-
t1onj and at the URb tab, l.? thQr6 are few au-
dit1onaliabwbr8 to Mv6 ln th6 um6 vehi&Q, no
$IAAI will be mode for 8816 Sow a&Utienal
.
9a ooanbotlaatith fihafwogoiag, in soy
hIataa6Qrth6 Oat rha 08M.fO8 tb IrbWWO, ?W
lnBtaa60, ?roR x *mall to 8aa Ae&nls via 60 on
through
to the partioular ?lelUa in thb fwdga
stat0 and vi11 rbaain there 88 a vwkw. In othbr
inrt~erhexi~gobrokto1~u31v;Lthhll~
but he does not nke mother tsip lnbhto~ ?ror
Pearatilto San Antonio vith aaothe pb~p. &
laataaooa whbra hb gbbr b86k to m*oUUte?hv-
b tb,oabwlea Itiuel?eangregat-
; ovlanga OU* Xn thla l4tter
kQtd of a oue ku requima that. th6 furilp go to
;z fr$otinl
or $2.60,w
viththem3abbr
vho oarried the ~0pl.b to 9ur Aatoaio.
WlreaU Qad.aal.an of Tomu, pagb 6
Wltf ?Pa t&t,8 @olllliUiOlI t0
oarrp pu8engwa ?a hire.
"You are amkeelthe ?ollowLngqruatlona on the
latter faota:
Qoba this
Oomlaalon~r, the jurladlotlan
to pmobed agabt A8oata I&w Agonop llthor W
erirbl proooedlngror by injunetirepoaoedinglt
'8QOOBU
%ma this Corrirrlenhave the jueldlotloa
to proabbd a&ast th. b t 8olyrr mmpaaier SW
V~O~Qbeabflt th u elotlv'fh
tlba WQ ourled On, 01
agaia@t their ~$4, by wlmlaal ~udlagm w
by iajoxmtln preoebdlngat
‘Third
“Dabr thla Gamiaatsn haw the jwtsdi~tlcm,
lithw by whinal pmoee4lnga or W lnjuaotlve
pm, to pwud agalast thbme ma0 three
h-pro0 -t a#fMt8?
V~makb thb au0 mq\urtvithreapeettoa
omplalnt or bill ofbdiotaontin theorent~u
should aanwr map b? the fwogoiag aUbStlW8 in tha
a??lrmtive rhiah w nda abow rith Napmot to
Qbgthwt.
"In0ormo0t1anrith tiloftihe lboreurdf(b19-
"Thla C~alonia``ttpowurl``e8aed
with this matterboth by those vho dlaim wo have
1
gtailroaU Cotmlaalon of Texas. page 7
jurladlotlon and those vho cllr we bme ao jwla-
dlotion; and you are urgent17 requbated to give IM
m opinion am urgently a.a pf3aalble.*
We oonatrue pour queatlom to reUte, of oourme, only
to pour authority in the premises qmler Artiole glla, Vernon@8
¬ated Civil Statutes, the motor bun JAY of Texas.
The folloving f’aota exist In eaoh altuation you havb
dwwlbbdr
(1) EIoh motor vbhlole makes but one tram-
portatlcm trip;
(2) The motor vehicle la pPivatel7 owned by
the driver in baahkuatanae~
(3) The puaengera In the first aaae deaarlb-
ed are members of the ovnwa f8milp on%p~ in thb
aeoond oaae, mmbera of the frnilp, uod, ii othbra,
transportation la without charge am to themg
(4) X0 passenger in any mokw rahiole paya
oompenaatlon to 8ny coned
(5) Uhon tranaportatlan i.a br any method ex-
cept by a partloulw vehlale driven by its ovner,
auah tranapor llrtion la by a duly authorised pusen-
ger carrier.
Ye must deolde i? theme operaticma aonatltute motor bum
aoapanpoperationswithin the purviewof aubaeotlon( a )o f lb o -
tio n 1 of Artlole glla, V. A. C. S., whbrefore mah opbratlona
rp not be engaged in, under aeotion 2 of Artlale 91La, exoept
ln aooordanoe with the provlalona of Artlale 9lla.
A motor bus acaapauy vaa orlginrllp defined (Aata, 40th
Legislature, 1927, Chapter 270, page 399, aeetlorr 1) am follovar
“The term NYotor Bua Coap&np@ when used in
thla Aot meana every oorporatlon or person aa
herein dellned, their leaaeea, truRtee8, WOeiV-
era, or truatees appointed by any court vhotao-
ever, owning, oontrolllng, operating or -2ng
RalbMd Coaniaronof ‘hue, page 8
my motor prop4ll4d pa4asngor ~shiolo, not u8wl-
Seotlon 2 of thin original aot provided:
‘All motor bun companl88, 48 defined h8rela,
ace hereby deolared to be to~on o8rrler8* and
subjsot to renul4tlon br the Jt4te of Texa8. and
hail not opeg4te any a&r pmpellsd p48re&r
vehicle iOr the r4uul4r tWI4gOrt4tl~ a? mr8oaa
a8 paarengera for oo?axmna&tion or hire over w
public hi&way In thlk Stats exoept in Booord-
anoe vlth the rovlrions of thl8 Aot, . . .*
(RmphAsir Our4P
The doilnltlon ~48 maded bJ the 418t Isgi8&ture
1929, Ch4pter 78, p4m 196, 14t 023.)
"The term (Ilotor Bun Cmpany~ vhen u8ed in
thl8 Aot sum18 ever7 oorporatlon or per8on8 a8
herein defined, their le88ee8, tru8te48, reoeiv-
4r4, or tru8teer 8ppolnted by any GooTt vh4tro-
ever, omlng, controlling, oper4tI.q or panaging
any motor propelled pssrenger
operated on or over rail8, 4.M
bualne88 of transporting pars
tlon or hire over the pubUo highv4y4 vlthS.a th8
State of Toxaa, vhsther op4mting over i'lxsd rout48
or fixed eohedules, or othervlrej . . .* (E4kpha414
our4 1
It is observed that the vorQ ‘bagularly” va8 omitted
from the definition urd the vords "or fired 4ohedulea* ver8 rdd-
ed. Section 2 of th4 aiginal eot, oogtalnlng the vord4 "for
th4 regular tramportaticm of peraon8, VM left unohanpd.
The oaae of Hoffman v. State, 20 3. W. (26) 1057, by
the Court of CrimUml Appeal4 of Teams, aro8e under ths orlgixml
R&ih'O&d 00~4l44iOn of Texan, -4 9
Ah. Upon the wention of a li43le truuportatlon or paaaengera,
tha OOI+ said:
"Thin l4v in not violated bj an agent of
suoh oomp4ny, vho hires a ler vlo car e one time to
transport over 4 publia highvay of thin state pan-
sengera who had been brought to otw state line up-
on a vehicle
%%%
Thin in vhat appears frcm the t;zmt
to have beeadona b~appellant.
l
operated outside the stats br 4ai.d
seems to be all that he is llaovn br ooi to have
done. Unless under the faota the ve E ole in quea-
tion van operated on the pub110 highvaya of thin
state regularly for the tran8poPtatlon of such
pas8enger8 vlthout a permit, its operator would
not violate the lav. . . .#
The 43ane of Commeroial Credit Compaq v. ttr08ecloae,
66 8. W. (26) 709, (ait dLamlaaed), arose rubaequent to the
&Mad&tory rot. A4 p4PtlaEnt here, the 0444 involved a r40t
situation vhere cne Morrl8on van drfring au autcmobllo, belong-
iag to, Caweroial Oredlt 0ompany, fbm Los Angeles, Callfornta,
to Ddlla4, Texa4. At El Paao he agreed to trampopt O~04401044
to ag spdag, Texan, for the sum or 44.00. In deoldlng that
neither Yorriaon nor Comierroial Credit Cs vere engaged %n
tha bualne88 of trau8porting person8 for~ocmpen8ation or hire
upon the h.Lghvay4 of thin state, the court olted the Hoffmn
oaae, lupra, with approval, saying:
'norrison van elmply engaged in tha tuk o?
d,rivlng a pa444ng4r oar to Dallu to be there de-
livered to appellwt, under a OontPaot 40 to do.
Reither #omiaon nor appellant violated either of
the lava meat oned (the motor oarrler lav aud th4
motor bu4 lav s in undertaking to truuport plain-
tiff for hire f'rom El Paso to Big Spring. Ifoifmn
v. State, (Tex. Grim. App.) 20 Y. Y, (26) 1057."
It ia obvious that the court & the latter awe did
not, regard the elimination Srom the definition of the vord
"regular, " by the 1929 .smendment, an ahangkng the rule of the
xofsman oa4e regarding a alugle tran4portatlon of pa44enger4
trau4aotlon.
Rall.mad Omml44ion of Texa4, page 10
It in ob88rved that th8 1927 doilnltian oontairu the
language "vhether operotlng over fired routes or othervlae,"
viietieaa the 1929 definition reads "vhether operating over flx-
ed routes or ?lxeU schedules, or othervine. n The lagl8lativo
purpose 14 manifest, It va5 that the abaeaoe of tired l4hedulea
should aot remove an operator from the rotor bw 0~ dorm-
tion, and 4xplaim t&e eljnilnatlon of the vord “regular llmLl-
taaeowly vlth the addition of the vorcla 'fix4d lo hedulea .m
The ?allur4 of the 414t laglalature ln 1229 to amend
leotlon 2 or the 1927 act containing the 18ngmge for th8 re -
ular tramportatfon of peraoaa" evinaea a legi4latire fntea P
m the ellalnatlon of the word ~regularly” ln the rotor bus
aarpany definition ~44 not lntu+d to oompletel~ awaove th8
sequlnment of BOBLCIregularity or oontlnulty in tha oarrylag
of passengers for hire.
It in 4law, moreover, that the l.8nguu$o 'eng8ged In
the bu8lne88 of," oontaimd in the present lrotor bu8 oomprry
deflaitlon, d4notea 4o414thlng in addition to oaa isolated aad
lnoldental tranaaotion. In Webster's Il4v Intarnatioaal Dlotlon-
ary tha vord *bu8lneaa" is deilmd an follov8:
'That vhlch bunion or engag8s tine, attention
or labor, an a prlnoiple aeciou8 oonaern OF intrr48t.
S~OlflO411~l a. consteat employmnt; ragulaz oo-
oupatioa~ voik. . . b. 4rq pmtlouler oaouprtion
or smple~ent habitually engaged in, e4peoLall~.jl ?or
lirls.hood or gain. . . .n
It 14 ummoeaaarg for UB to explore the full rknlng
l&on&d by the phrase "engaged In the bu8lnesa of." SU??iOO it
to nay that in our opinion it does net embraoe or iaelude a
4ingle lnoideatal and isolated tmmmtlon vhorap4r44n4 4m
trre;orted an under each of the aitu4tlona deaorlbed in JOur
.
It vould 44ei4, furthermoPe, that the lddltioM1 lle-
mnt of kmpenaation or hire " 14 not present under the deaorlb-
ed faota.
Raeh of your questions ia acoorcllngly 4nawor4d in the
nngative.