Whenever the commission, after a hearing finds that a physical connection can reasonably be made between the lines of two or more telephone corporations or two or more telegraph corporations whose lines can be made to form a continuous line of communication, by the construction and maintenance of suitable connections for the transfer of messages or conversations, and that public convenience and necessity will be served thereby, or finds that two or more telegraph or telephone corporations have failed to establish joint rates, tolls, or charges for service by or over their lines, and that joint rates, tolls, or charges ought to be established, the commission may, by its order, require that such connection be made on the payment of such compensation, if any, as it finds to be just and reasonable, except where the purpose of the connection is primarily to secure the transmission of local messages or conversations between points within the same city, or city and county. The commission may, by order, require that conversations be transmitted and messages transferred over such connection under such rules as it may establish, and may prescribe through lines and joint rates, tolls, and charges. If such telephone or telegraph corporations do not agree upon the division between them of the cost of such physical connection or connections or the division of such joint rates, tolls, or charges established by the commission over such through lines, the commission may after further hearing, establish such division by supplemental order.
(Enacted by Stats. 1951, Ch. 764.)