Railroad Commissioners, Board of

The Board of Railroad Commissioners was originally created in 1855 (Chapter 526) but was abolished, at the urging of two of its members, two years later (Laws of 1857). With the expansion and development of the state's railroad system, the board was reestablished in 1882 (Chapter 353) and first met on February 1, 1883. The powers and duties of the board consisted of: supervising all railroads and railways operating in the state; examining their condition and manner of operation with specific regard to safety and accommodation of the public; ensuring the compliance of railroad corporations with the provision of their charters and the laws of the state; investigating any accidents the board saw necessary to examine; and reporting the results of all investigations to the State Legislature. Furthermore, the board was empowered to prescribe the form of the annual report to be made by railroad companies (L. 1850, Ch. 140) and of any other reports deemed necessary. The Board of Railroad Commissioners was formally abolished by Section 80 of Chapter 429 of the Laws of 1907. This act created the Public Service Commission which assumed all of the board's duties, powers, and functions.