Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-17
TO PREVENT COMBINATION
Amendment to Ship Subsidy Bill Favored
by Committee
To Punish Conspiracy to Discrimi In n tie
Control the Building of Vessels.

The final drafts Of the amendments to the
ship subsidy BILL agreed upon by the House
committee on merchant marine and fisher
les. have been completed
One of these amendments declares the
Sherman antitrust law to ne specifically
applicable to the builder owner either or
both of than. OF any vessel entering into
any contract provided for by this act. and
any such vessel is hereby declared to be
property in the course of transportatio
within the intent of said law
The other two amendments. designed to
further prevent combinations either be-
tween ship owners. and builders ar, as fol-
lows:
Aimed at Discrimination and Conn
binatiOn.
Section %. That upon complaint made to
the Seeretary of the Treasury that two or
more persons owning. controlling operat-
ing vessels registered and entitled to COM
pensation under this act, which aggregate
in tonnage one-third of the total tonnage OF
all vessels registered and entitled to
compensation, have entered into any con-
tract. combination or conspiracy. whatever
be the form thereof. for the purpose of con-
trolling the terminal facilities for shipping
in any port or ports of the United States.
or for regulating or Increasing the rates
or fares for freight or passengers in trade
on commerce among the several states, or
with foreign nations, or for granting any
special rebates or privileges to shippers in
such commerce, or for otherwise putting
any restraint upon trade commerce
among the several states or with foreign
nations. the Secretary snail tiv 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 papers which he may
deem material in the consideration of such
charges. If. after notice. end hearing. the
Secretary of the Treasury shall sustain
such charges, thereupon the right of the
person or persons SO found violating the
provisions of this section, and their assign
to any compensation from tia :.Dited
States under this act sns.t imme lately
cease and determine
ASa'Ist Combine of Builders.
''Sec. III. That any contract, ,combina-
ton or conspiracy in whatever form made
or entered into, between the persons own
ing, controlling operating two more
ship yards in the United States which have
constructed, are constructing or capa-
BILE of constructing. during any one year,
vessels aggregating in tonnage one-third of
the total tonnage of the new vessels regis
tered and entitled to compensation Under
this act, for the purpose Of limiting or
controlling the number, tonnage, classes
kind type of vessels to be constructed
therein or for regulating in any manner the
terms or increasing the prices of construc-
ton of such vessels, is hereby declared to
be Illegal and any consolida ton, aDsorp-
ton, sale or transfer, by the persons own
ing. operating or controlling two more
ship yards of the United States of the
pacity aforesaid. OF the privileges. fran
CEiSeS property of such ship yards for
the purpose Of limiting or suppressing COM
petition among such ship yards and of
placing control of the terms and conditions
of such contracts for constructing vessels
therein under one management, is hereby
declared 10 be illegal