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by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate; said board shall annually elect one of its members as chairman and one as vice chairman.

The first commissioners appointed shall continue in office for terms of two, three, four, five, and six years, respectively, from the date of their appointment, the term of each to be designated by the President, but their successors shall be appointed for terms of six years, except that any person chosen to fill a vacancy shall be appointed only for the unexpired term of the commissioner whom he succeeds. The commissioners shall be appointed with due regard to their fitness for the efficient discharge of the duties imposed on them by this Act, and to a fair representation of the geographical divisions of the country. Not more than three of the commissioners shall be appointed from the same political party. No commissioner shall be in the employ of or hold any official relation to any common carrier by water or other person subject to this Act, or own any stocks or bonds thereof, or be pecuniarily interested therein. No commissioner shall actively engage in any other business, vocation, or employment. Any commissioner may be removed by the President for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office. A vacancy in the board shall not impair the right of the remaining members of the board to exercise all its powers. The board shall have an official seal, which shall be judicially noticed.

The board may adopt rules and regulations in regard to its procedure and the conduct of its business.

SEO. 4. That each member of the board shall receive a salary of $7,500 per annum. The board shall appoint a secretary, at a salary of $5,000 per annum, and employ and fix the compensation of such attorneys, officers, naval architects, special experts, examiners, clerks, and other employees as it may find necessary for the proper performance of its duties and as may be appropriated for by the Congress. The President, upon the request of the board, may authorize the detail of officers of the military, naval, or other services of the United States for such duties as the board may deem necessary in connection with its business.

With the exception of the secretary, a clerk to each commissioner, the attorneys, naval architects, and such special experts and examiners as the board may from time to time find necessary to employ for the conduct of its work, all employees of the board shall be appointed from lists of eligibles to be supplied by the Civil Service Commission and in accordance with the civil-service law.

The expenses of the board, including necessary expenses for transportation, incurred by the members of the board or by its employees under its orders, in making any investigation, or upon official business in any other place than in the city of Washington, shall be allowed and paid on the presentation of itemized vouchers therefor approved by the chairman of the board.

Until otherwise provided by law the board may rent suitable offices for its use.

The Auditor for the State and Other Departments shall receive and examine all accounts of expenditures of the board.

SEC. 5. That the board, with the approval of the President, is authorized to have constructed and equipped in American shipyards and navy yards or elsewhere, giving preference, other things being

equal, to domestic yards, or to purchase, lease, or charter, vessels suitable, as far as the commercial requirements of the marine trade of the United States may permit, for use as naval auxiliaries or Army transports, or for other naval or military purposes, and to make necessary repairs on and alterations of such vessels: Provided, That neither the board nor any corporation formed under section eleven in which the United States is then a stockholder shall purchase, lease, or charter any vessel

(a) Which is then engaged in the foreign or domestic commerce of the United States, unless it is about to be withdrawn from such commerce without any intention on the part of the owner to return it thereto within a reasonable time;

(b) Which is under the registry or flag or a foreign country which is then engaged in war;

(c) Which is not adapted, or can not by reasonable alterations and repairs be adapted, to the purposes specified in this section;

(d) Which, upon expert examination made under the direction of the board, a written report of such examination being filed as a public record, is not without alteration or repair found to be at least seventyfive per centum as efficient as at the time it was originally put in commission as a seaworthy vessel.

SEC. 6. That the President may transfer either permanently or for limited periods to the board such vessels belonging to the War or Navy Department as are suitable for commercial uses and not required for military or naval use in time of peace, and cause to be transferred to the board vessels owned by the Panama Railroad Company and not required in its business.

SEO. 7. That the board, upon terms and conditions prescribed by it and approved by the President, may charter, lease, or sell to any person, a citizen of the United States, any vessel so purchased, constructed, or transferred.

SEC. 8. That when any vessel purchased or constructed by or transferred to the board as herein provided, and owned by the United States, becomes, in the opinion of the board, unfit for the purposes of this Act, it shall be appraised and sold at public or private competitive sale after due advertisement free from the conditions and restrictions of this Act.

SEO. 9. That any vessel purchased, chartered, or leased from the board may be registered or enrolled and licensed, or both registered and enrolled and licensed, as a vessel of the United States and entitled to the benefits and privileges appertaining thereto: Provided, That foreign-built vessels admitted to American registry or enrollment and license under this Act, and vessels owned, chartered, or leased by any corporation in which the United States is a stockholder, and vessels sold, leased, or chartered to any person a citizen of the United States, as provided in this Act, may engage in the coastwise trade of the United States.

Every vessel purchased, chartered, or leased from the board shall, unless otherwise authorized by the board, be operated only under such registry or enrollment and license. Such vessels while employed solely as merchant vessels shall be subject to all laws, regulations, and liabilities governing merchant vessels, whether the United States be interested therein as owner, in whole or in part, or hold any mortgage, lien, or other interest therein. No such vessel, without the approval

of the board, shall be transferred to a foreign registry or flag, or sold; nor, except under regulations prescribed by the board, be chartered or leased.

When the United States is at war, or during any national emergency the existence of which is declared by proclamation of the President, no vessel registered or enrolled and licensed under the laws of the United States shall, without the approval of the board, be sold, leased, or chartered to any person not a citizen of the United States, or transferred to a foreign registry or flag. No vessel registered or enrolled and licensed under the laws of the United States, or owned by any person a citizen of the United States, except one which the board is prohibited from purchasing, shall be sold to any person not a citizen of the United States or transferred to a foreign registry or flag, unless such vessel is first tendered to the board at the price in good faith offered by others, or, if no such offer, at a fair price to be determined in the manner provided in section ten.

Any vessel sold, chartered, leased, transferred, or operated in violation of this section shall be forfeited to the United States, and whoever violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine of not more than $5,000 or to imprisonment of not more than five years, or both such fine and imprisonment.

SEO. 10. That the President, upon giving to the person interested such reasonable notice in writing as in his judgment the circumstances permit, may take possession, absolutely or temporarily, for any naval or military purpose, of any vessel purchased, leased, or chartered from the board: Provided, That if, in the judgment of the President, an emergency exists requiring such action he may take possession of any such vessel without notice.

Thereafter, upon ascertainment by agreement or otherwise, the United States shall pay the person interested the fair actual value based upon normal conditions at the time of taking of the interest of such person in every vessel taken absolutely, or if taken for a limited period, the fair charter value under normal conditions for such period. In case of disagreement as to such fair value it shall be determined by appraisers, one to be appointed by the board, one by the person interested, and a third by the two so appointed. The finding of such appraisers shall be final and binding upon both parties.

SEO. 11. That the board, if in its judgment such action is necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act, may form under the laws of the District of Columbia one or more corporations for the purchase, construction, equipment, lease, charter, maintenance, and operation of merchant vessels in the commerce of the United States. The total capital stock thereof shall not exceed $50,000,000. The board may, for and on behalf of the United States, subscribe to, purchase, and vote not less than a majority of the capital stock of any such corporation, and do all other things in regard thereto necessary to protect the interests of the United States and to carry out the purposes of this Act. The board, with the approval of the President, may sell any or all of the stock of the United States in such corporation, but at no time shall it be a minority stockholder therein: Provided, That no corporation in which the United States is a stockholder, formed under the authority of this section, shall engage in the operation of any vessel constructed, purchased, leased, chartered, or transferred under

the authority of this Act unless the board shall be unable, after a bona fide effort, to contract with any person a citizen of the United States for the purchase, lease, or charter of such vessel under such terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the board.

The board shall give public notice of the fact that vessels are offered and the terms and conditions upon which a contract will be made, and shall invite competitive offerings. In the event the board shall, after full compliance with the terms of this proviso, determine that it is unable to enter into a contract with such private parties for the purchase, lease, or charter of such vessel, it shall make a full report to the President, who shall examine such report, and if he shall approve the same he shall make an order declaring that the conditions have been found to exist which justify the operation of such vessel by a corporation formed under the provisions of this section.

At the expiration of five years from the conclusion of the present European war the operation of vessels on the part of any such corporation in which the United States is then a stockholder shall cease and the said corporation stand dissolved. The date of the conclusion of the war shall be declared by proclamation of the President. The vessels and other property of any such corporation shall revert to the board. The board may sell, lease, or charter such vessels as provided in section seven and shall dispose of the property other than vessels on the best available terms and, after payment of all debts and obligations, deposit the proceeds thereof in the Treasury to its credit. All stock in such corporations owned by others than the United States at the time of dissolution shall be taken over by the board at a fair and reasonable value and paid for with funds to the credit of the board. In case of disagreement, such value shall be determined in the manner provided in section ten.

SEC. 12. That the board shall investigate the relative cost of building merchant vessels in the United States and in foreign maritime countries, and the relative cost, advantages, and disadvantages of operating in the foreign trade vessels under United States registry and under foreign registry. It shall examine the rules under which vessels are constructed abroad and in the United States, and the methods of classifying and rating same, and it shall examine into the subject of marine insurance, the number of companies in the United States, domestic and foreign, engaging in marine insurance, the extent of the insurance on hulls and cargoes placed or written in the United States, and the extent of reinsurance of American maritime risks in foreign companies, and ascertain what steps may be necessary to develop an ample marine insurance system as an aid in the development of an American merchant marine. It shall examine the navigation laws of the United States and the rules and regulations thereunder, and make such recommendations to the Congress as it deems proper for the amendment, improvement, and revision of such laws, and for the development of the American merchant marine. It shall investigate the legal status of mortgage loans on vessel property, with a view to means of improving the security of such loans and of encouraging investment in American shipping.

It shall, on or before the first day of December in each year, make a report to the Congress, which shall include its recommendations and the results of its investigations, a summary of its transactions, and a

operations of any corporation in which the United States is a stockholder, and the names and compensation of all persons employed by the board.

SEO. 13. That for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of sections five and eleven no liability shall be incurred exceeding a total of $50,000,000 and the Secretary of the Treasury, upon the request of the board, approved by the President, shall from time to time issue and sell or use any of the bonds of the United States now available in the Treasury under the Acts of August fifth, nineteen hundred and nine, February fourth, nineteen hundred and ten, and March second, nineteen hundred and eleven, relating to the issue of bonds for the construction of the Panama Canal, to a total amount not to exceed $50,000,000: Provided, That any bonds issued and sold or used under the provisions of this section may be made payable at such time within fifty years after issue as the Secretary of the Treasury may fix, instead of fifty years after the date of issue, as prescribed in the Act of August fifth, nineteen hundred and nine.

The proceeds of such bonds and the net proceeds of all sales, charters, and leases of vessels and of sales of stock made by the board, and all other moneys received by it from any source, shall be covered into the Treasury to the credit of the board, and are hereby permanently appropriated for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of sections five and eleven.

SEC. 14. That no common carrier by water shall directly or indirectly

First. Pay, or allow, or enter into any combination, agreement, or understanding, express or implied, to pay or allow, a deferred rebate to any shipper. The term deferred rebate" in this Act means a return of any portion of the freight money by a carrier to any shipper as a consideration for the giving of all or any portion of his shipments to the same or any other carrier, or for any other purpose, payment of which is deferred beyond the completion of the service for which it is paid, and is made only if, during both the period for which computed and the period of deferment, the shipper has complied with the terms of the rebate agreement or arrangement.

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Second. Use a fighting ship either separately or in conjunction with any other carrier, through agreement or otherwise. The term "fighting ship" in this Act means a vessel used in a particular trade by a carrier or group of carriers for the purpose of excluding, preventing, or reducing competition by driving another carrier out of said trade.

Third. Retaliate against any shipper by refusing, or threatening to refuse, space accommodations when such are available, or resort to other discriminating or unfair methods, because such shipper has patronized any other carrier or has filed a complaint charging unfair treatment, or for any other reason.

Fourth. Make any unfair or unjustly discriminatory contract with any shipper based on the volume of freight offered, or unfairly treat or unjustly discriminate against any shipper in the matter of (a) cargo space accommodations or other facilities, due regard being had for the proper loading of the vessel and the available tonnage; (b) the loading and landing of freight in proper condition; or (c) the

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