The age-herald., 1900-03-18
AMENDMENTS TO
 SHIPPING BILL
Sherman Antitrust Bill Applies
 to Builders of Vessels.
COMBINATIONS PREVENTED
Owners or Operators of Vessels Enti- tied to Compensation Under Sub sidy Bill Forming Conspira-
 cies Will Lose Assign

Washington, March 1.-The final drafts of the amendments to the ship subsidy bill agreed upon by the house committee on merchant marine and fisheries have been completed. One of these amendments de- clares the sherman antitrust laws to be specifically applicable to the builder. own CT or either, or both of them, of any vessel entering into any contract provided for by this act and any such vessel is hereby declared to be properly in the course of transportation within the intent of said law"
 The other amendments are designed to further prevent combinations either be- tween ship owner and builders as fol- lows:
 That upon complaint made to the sec retary of the treasury that two or more persons owning, controlling or operating vessels registered and entitled to com pensation under this act, which aggregate in tonnage one-third of the total tonnage of all vessels so registered and entitled to compensation, have entered into any contract, combination or conspiracy what ever be the form thereof, in any port or ports of the United States or for regulating or increasing the rates or fares for freight or passengers in trade of commerce among the several states or with foreign nations, or for granting any special rebates or priv ileges to shippers in such commerce or for otherwise putting any restraint upon trade or commerce among the several states or with foreign nations, the secretary shall tix time and place for hearing such charges, and give notice thereof to the persons interested, and may require the production before him of any contracts or papers which he may deem material in the consideration of such charges. If, after notice and hearing, the secretary of the treasury shall have sus stained such charges thereupon the right Of the person or per- sons so found violating the provisions of this section, and their assigns to any com pensation from the United States, this act shall immediately cease and terminate.
 Against the Combination
 That any contract, combination or con- spmacy in whatever form made or entered into between the persons owning, control- ing or operating two or more ship yards in the United States which have construct ed, are constructing, or capable of con- structing during any one year, vessels ag- gregating in tonnage one-third of the total tonnage of the new vessels registered and entitled to compensation under this act Tor the purpose of limiting or controlling the number, tonnage, classes, kind or type or vessels to be constructed therein, for regulating in any manner the terms or in- creasing the prices of construction of such vessels, is hereby declared to be illegal, and any consolidation, absorption sale or trans fer by the persons owning, operating or controlling two or more ship yeards of the United States of the capacity aforesaid of the privileges, franchises, or property of such ship yards for the purpose of limiting or suppressing competition among such yards and of placing control of the terms and conditions of such contracts for con- structing vessels therein under one man. agement is hereby declared to be illegal'