Texas Legislature, House of Representatives:

An Inventory of House of Representatives Committees Investigating Commercial Motor Vehicles Hearing Testimony and Report at the Texas State Archives, 1935

Agency History

House Simple Resolution 14 (44th Texas Legislature, 1st Called Session), introduced on September 25, 1935, called for an investigation of alleged harrassment of truckers and commercial haulers by state and local law enforcement officials while carrying out the provisions of House Bills 335 and 336 (42nd Legislature, Regular Session, 1931). The conduct of these officers allegedly resulted in spoilage, destruction, or impounding of property and personal harm to transporters. In the late 1920s, the Railroad Commission of Texas was given the power to regulate commercial transportation of persons and property on state highways, and trucking legislation passed soon afterward caused friction between railroad and trucking interests. The House of Representatives Committee to Make Certain Investigation in Regard to Commercial Motor Vehicles was charged to conduct the investigation.

The committee held hearings in Austin, Fort Worth, and Houston between September 30 and October 5. The committee's report, issued on October 15, confirmed that there had been violations of the rights of operators and trucking firms by state and local officials. The committee requested that it be reconstituted or that a new committee be appointed during the next session to investigate the impact of new federal transportation laws on the trucking industry in Texas, and then to advise the legislature on changes needed to make the state and federal regulations coincide.

In the next called legislative session, the House of Representatives Special Committee to Investigate Arrests of Certain Motor Vehicle Operators was appointed by the Speaker of the House on November 14, 1935, pursuant to a resolution by Representative Conde Hoskins (44th Legislature, 2nd Called Session), a member of both of the investigative committees. The second committee, increased to six members and including most from the previous committee, held hearings in Laredo and Harlingen between December 15 and 18, 1935. The report of this committee's findings and recommendations does not appear in the House Journal, and it is unknown whether one was ever filed.

(Sources include: the guide survey created for these records, and the records themselves.)

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Scope and Contents of the Records

In 1935, two related special investigative committees of the Texas House of Representatives were formed during the 44th Texas Legislature, 1st and 2nd Called Sessions, to investigate alleged harrassment of truckers and commercial haulers by state and local law enforcement officials while carrying out the provisions of recent trucking laws, and to investigate the impact of new federal transportation laws on the trucking industry in Texas in order to advise the legislature on changes needed to make the state and federal regulations coincide. Records of these two committees, the Texas House of Representatives Committee to Make Certain Investigation in Regard to Commercial Motor Vehicles and the Texas House of Representatives Special Committee to Investigate Arrests of Certain Motor Vehicle Operators, consist of public hearing testimony transcripts and the earlier committee's report to the legislature, all dating 1935.

The first committee's records include testimony from four public hearings in Austin, Fort Worth, and Houston held between September 30 and October 5, and the committee's October 15 report. Testimony from three hearings held by the second committee in Laredo and Harlingen date between December 15 and 18, 1935. The report of the second committee's findings and recommendations is not included in these records, and does not appear in the House Journal; it is unknown whether one was ever filed. Those testifying for both committees included trucking business owners and employees, private truck operators, merchants operating their own trucking distribution, witnesses of encounters between truck operators and law enforcement officials, attorneys, Railroad Commission of Texas inspectors, Texas Highway Patrol officers, city chamber of commerce and local business representatives, and livestock association personnel.

To prepare this inventory, the described materials were cursorily reviewed to delineate series, to confirm the accuracy of contents lists, to provide an estimate of dates covered, and to determine record types.

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

Materials do not circulate, but may be used in the State Archives search room. Materials will be retrieved from and returned to storage areas by staff members.

Restrictions on Use

Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).

Technical Requirements

None.

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Related Material

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item and cite the series), Texas House of Representatives Committees Investigating Commercial Motor Vehicles hearing testimony and report. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information

Accession number: 1982/322

These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Texas Secretary of State on May 23, 1940.

Processing Information

Guide survey information compiled by Michael Green, July 1982

Finding aid encoded in EAD Version 2002 as part of the TARO project by Rebecca Romanchuk, May 2012

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Detailed Description of the Records

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