Any railroad company availing itself of section 48:17-16 of this title may enter into business arrangements with any other railroad or telegraph company of this or any other state for the reception and transmission of messages over the telegraph lines of such other railroad or telegraph company.
For all messages to be transmitted over the telegraph lines of other companies, every railroad company availing itself of said section 48:17-16, to whom such messages shall be tendered, may charge, receive and collect reasonable and customary rates for such transmission.
N.J.S. § 48:17-18