The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-23
TRUST BILL
 IS PREPAR Littlcfield'S Committee Completes Work. TEXT OF THE MEASURE Will Be Reported to Full
 Committee Today. Substitute for the Publicity Bill In troduced by the Maine Con-
 gressman at the Last
 Session of Congress.

LAttiefield. of Maine. chairman of the subcommittee Of the House Judiciary Committee. to which all antitrust bills the full Judiciary Committee bin which has been drawn and adopted by the sub committee. The bill Is offered as a sub stitute for the publicity bill introduced by Representative Attlefeld at the last ses- sion. The full committee is expected to take the bin up tomorrow. and decide if 1t Is to be reported to the House as now framed. The text of the bill follows:
 A bill requiring corporations engaged in interstate commerce concerus to make returns, prohibiting rebates and discrimi- nations. the use Of intestate commerce In attempts to destroy competition. and for other purposes.
 Publicity Feature.
 Section l. Be 1t enacted, etc., That every corporation which may be hereafter organized shall at the time of engaging in interstate or foreign commerce. file the return hereinafter provided for; and every corporation whenever engaged in interstate or foreign commerce shall file . return with the Interstate Commerce Committee for the year ending December s1, whenever and at such time as re- quired by said commission, stating its name, date of organization, where and wOlsn organized. giving statutes under which 1t Ia organized and all amendments thereof; if consolidated. naming consti- tuent companies; if re-organAzed, name of original corporation or corporations; amount of authorized capital stock, shares Into which it is divided. par value. wheth- CT oonfa0n gn preferred and distinction between eztcal, alnount issued and out standing, amount paid tn; and how. much, if any, paid in cash; giving the elements upon which the market value is based. and especially whether in whole or in part upon the capitalization in earnings and earning capacity; the name end ad- dress of each officer, manasing agent and director and a true and correct copy of any and all rules, regulations and by laws.
 Old Law Not Disturbed.
 Nothing herein contained shall be con- strued as relieving any corporation from making in addition to tine foregoing such returns as are now required by the Act to regulate commerce." approved IL but the provisions of this act as to sign ing and making oath to returns and mak- ing answers on oath to written inquiries shall be applicable to returns and such answers made under said act and amend ments thereof.
 So far as any return may be a duplicate of one already filed, that fact may bc stated, and the details which are in such duplicates, need not be repeated. The President, Treasurer and a majority of the directors of such corporation shall make oath in writing on a return blank that said return is true. Any corpora ton failing to make such return. or whose treasurer or other officers shall fail to make answer, may be restrained, on the suit of the United States, from engaging in interstate commerce until such return is made. Suit may be brought in any dis trict of the United States at the election of the Attorney General.
 Distribution of Statistics.
 Sec. 2. That whoever knowingly swears to an answer to any such inquiry that is false, shall be deemed guilty of perjury and punished. Whoever shall knowingly prepare or cause to be prepared a return or answer that Is false as aforesaids shalr be deemed guilty of subordination of per- jury and punished.
 Sec. 3. That 1t shall be the duty of said commission to cause to he prepared and published on or before the first day of June, each year, a list of all corpora tions making returns, with an abstract of such returns for free distribution in such number as said commission may deem necessary to meet any reasonable and proper demand therefor, to be distributed under the direction of the commission.
 Sec. 4 That said commission shall have the same authority to inquire into the of the business of said cor porations relating to interstate and for eign commerce in the same manner and to the same extent with the same power to compel the attendance and the giving of testimony by witnesses and the pro auction of books. papers. contracts and agreements, as is provided in "An act to regulate commerce" approved Feb. f. 1887. Said commission shall make an annual report to the President, containing among other things such specific recom- for additional legislation as 1t may deem necessary.
 Refuse to Give Information.
 Any person who shall neglect or refuse to make returns. attend or testify or an- swer any lawful inquiry hereinbefore provided for, or produce books, papers, contracts, agreements and documents in obedience to the subpoenae or lawful re- quirements of the Commission. shall be deemed guilty of an offense against the United States and upon conviction there- of by a court of competent jurisdiction shall be punished by a fine of not less than $500 nor more than $5.0O0.
 Sec. 5. That any person. carrier, lessee trustee. receiver. officer. agent or repre- Of a carrier subject to the act to regulate commerce who or which shall offer. grant. give. solicit. accept or re- ceive any rebate. concession. facilities or servie in respect to the transportation of any property in interstate or. foreign commerce by any common carrier sub ject to said act whereby any such prop srty shall by any device whatever be at a less rate than that named in the tariff published and filed at a less rate by such carriers or shall receive any advantages by way of facili- ties or service. shlI be deemed guilty of } mlsdemsanor and shah. upon conviO-