The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-05-23
THE ANTITRUST BILL.
Text Of the Measure as II Passed Thu
Legislature.
IT NOW GOES TO GOVERNOR SAVERS
There IL No Doubt that 1t WIN BE
Promptly Signed by the
Chief Executive.

there is not the shadow OF doubt that 1t
Will be promptly signed. 1t becomes eff
fectiys as soon as signed.
A bill to be entitled an act to prohibit
pools. trusts, monopolies and conspiraces
to control business and prices of articles,
to prevent the formation or operation OF
pools, trusts, monopolies and combinations
OF charters or corporations that violate
the terms OF this act, and to authorize the
institution OF prosecutions and suits there
for.
BE 1t enacted by the legislature of the
State OF Texas.
Section !. Any corporation organized
under the laws OF this or any other STATE
or country, and transacting or conduct
| Ing any kind of business In this State, or
any partnership, or individual, or other
association OF persons whatsoever, who
shall create, enter into, become a member
| OF, or party TO, any pool, trust agree
ment, coordination, confederation or un-
| Outstanding with any other corporation,
/ partnership, individual or any other per-
son or association of persons. to regulate
or fix the price of any article Of manu-
facturo, mechanism, merchandise, COM
! modify, convenience, repair, any pro-
| duct OF mining, or any article or thing
| Whatsoever or the price or premium to
be paid for insuring property against
/ loss or damage by fire, lightning or storm
or to maintain said price when so regu-
| lated or Fixed, or shall enter into, become
a member Of or party to any pool,
! agreement, combination, contract assoc
| citation or confederation to fix or limit
the amount or quantity Of any article on
manufacture, mechanism merchandise
! commodity, convenience, repair and pro-
duet OF mining, or any article or thing
whatsoever, or the price or premium TO
/ he paid for insurlng property against
loss or damage by fire, lightning. storm,
/ cyclone, tornado or any other kind of
policy issued by any corporation, part
nership. individual, or association of per-
sens aforesaid, shall be deemed and nd
Judged guilty of conspiracy to defraud.
and to be subject to the penalties. as pro-
yided bS this act.
Sec. .. 4 monopoly" Is any union or
combination or consolidation or afilia-
ton of capital credit, property, assets.
trade, custom skill or acts or of any
other valuable thing or possession bv or
between persons. firms or corporations
or associations of persons, firms or cor
porations, whereby any one OF the pur-
poses or objects mentioned In this act
is accomplished or sought to be accom- =
plshed or whereby any one or more OF
said purposes are promoted or attempted
to be executed or carried out or whereby
the several results described herein are
reasonably calculated to be produced :;
aud monopoly" as thus defined and
contemplated, includes not merely such
combinations by and between two or more
persons, firms or corporations acting for
themselves but Is especially defined and
intended to include all aggregatons.
amalgamatons affiliations, consolida-
lions or interpretations of capital, skill.
credit, assets, property, custom, trade or
other valuable thing or possession,
whether affected by the ordinary methods
of partnership or by actual union under
n "a ion or al
incorporated body resulting from the
union Of one or more distinct firms or
corporations. or by the purchase, acqul-
slton or control OF shares or certificates
OF stock or bonds, or other corporate
property or franchises and all corpora
uons or partnerships that have been or
may be created by the consolidation or
amalgsmation ~ the separate capital,
stock, bonds. assets credit, properties,
custom, trade or corporate or firm be-
longings OF two or more firms or corpor-
auons or companies are especially de-
clared to constitute monopolies within
the meaning OF this act. IL so created or
entered into for any one or more of the
purposes named In this act; and a
monopoly" as defined in this section
is hereby declared to be unlawful and
against public policy, and any and all
persons, firms, corporations or associa-
ton OF persons engaged therein shall he
deemed and adtudged guilty Of a con-
spiraoy to defraud, and shall be subject %
the penalties described in this act.
Sec. 3. II any person, persons, COM
pany, partnership, association, or corpor-
alton engaged In the manufacture OF any
article OF commerce or consumption from
the raw material produced or mined in
this State, shall with the intent or pur-
POSE OF driving out competition, or FOR the
PURPOSE of financially injuring competitors,
sell at less than the cost of manufacture,
n oil tIafr tfaa al AfYaf re
for the purpose OF driving out competition
or financially niuring competitors engaged
In the manufacture and refining of raw ma
terial In this State said person, persons,
company, partnership, association or cor
poratlon resorting 10 this method OF seour-
Ing a monopoly In the manufacture. relln-
ing and sale OF the finished product pro-
duced or mined in this state shall be
deemed guilty Of n conspiracy to form or
secure trust or monopoly in restraint OF
trade and on conviction shall be subject
10 the penalties OF this act.
Sec. A. II any person. persons. CON-
pany, partnership. association corporation
or agent engaged IN the manufacture or
sale OF any article Of commerce or con-
Cumption produced, manufactured or
mined In this State or elsewhere. shall
With the intent or purpose Of driving out
competition or for the purpose of hnan-
cially iniuring competitors, sell within this
state at lrss than cost OF manufacture or
production, or sell Ia such way, or give
away within this State their products for
the purpose Of driving out competition or
financially iniurlng competition engaged in
similar business. said person. persons,
company, partnership, association, corpora-
tion or agen, resortng TO this method OF
securing a monopoly within this State in
such business, shall be deemed guilty u a
conspiracy TO form or secure trust or
monopoly in restraint OF trade; and on
conviction thereof shall be subject to this
penalties OF this act
See. .. Any person, partnership. firm
or association, or any representative or
agent thereof or any corporation or COM
pany. or any officer; representative or
agent thereof. violating any OF the pro-
Visions OF this act shall forfeit not less
than two hundred dollars nor more than
five thousand dollars for every such Of
tense. aud each day such person, corpora
tion, partnership or association shall con-
tinue TO do so sAali be a separate olfense,
the penalties In such cases to be recovered
by an action in tho name OF the State at
the relation Of the attorney general or the
district or county attorney; the moneys
thus collected 20 go into the State treasury,
aud TO become q part OF the general fund,
ex,sept as hereinafter provided.
Sec G. 10 any two or more persons OF
corporations who are engaged In buying
or selling any article Of commerce, manu-
"a