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AMENDING THE MERCHANT MARINE ACT OF 1936

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1937

UNITED STATES SENATE,

COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, AND
COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR,

Washington, D. C.

The committees met, pursuant to call, at 10 a. m., in the caucus room, Senate Office Building, Senator Royal S. Copeland (chairman of the Commerce Committee) presiding.

Present: Senators Copeland (chairman of the Commerce Committee, presiding), Sheppard, Clark, Guffey, Radcliffe, Pepper, Nye, Vandenberg, Gibson, and Davis.

The CHAIRMAN. The committees will be in order, please. This is a meeting of the Committee on Commerce and of the Committee on Education and Labor, with reference to S. 3078, a bill to amend the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, and for other purposes. (S. 3078 is as follows:)

[S. 3078, 75th Cong., 2d sess.]

A BILL To amend the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 207 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 207. The Commission may enter into such contracts, upon behalf of the United States, and may make such disbursements as may, in its discretion, be necessary to carry on the activities authorized by this Act, or to protect, preserve, or improve the collateral held by the Commission to secure indebtedness, in the same manner that a private corporation may contract within the scope of the authority conferred by its charter. All the Commission's financial transactions shall be audited in the General Accounting Office according to approved commercial practice as provided in the Act of March 20, 1922 42 Stat. 444): Provided, That it shall be recognized that, because of the business activities authorized by this Act, the accounting officers shall allow credit for all expenditures shown to be necessary because of the nature of such anthorized activities, notwithstanding any existing statutory provision to the contrary. The Comptroller General shall report annually or oftener to Congress any departure by the Commission from the provisions of this Act." SEC. 2. Section 214 (a) of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 214. (a) For the purpose of any investigation which, in the opinion of the Commission, is necessary and proper in carrying out the provisions of this Act, any member of the Commission, or any officer or employee thereof designated by it, is empowered to subpena witnesses, administer oaths and affirmations, take evidence, and require the production of any books, papers, or other documents which are relevant or material to the matter under investigation. Such attendance of witnesses and the production of such books, papers, or other documents may be required from any place in the United States or any Territory, district or possession thereof at any designated place of hearing. Witnesses summoned before the Commission shall be paid the same fees and mileage that are paid witnesses in the courts of the United States." SEC. 3. Title II of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, is amended by adding a new section at the end thereof to read as follows:

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