Chapter 51. To amend the Act to regulate commerce, as amended, and for other purposes
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CHAP. 51.— An Act To amend the Act to regulate commerce, as amended, and for other purposes. August 10, 1917.[[S. 2356](/us/bill/65/s/2356).][[Public, No. 39](/us/pl/65/39).] *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*, Interstate commerce regulations.Vol. 36, p. 547, amended. That section one of the act entitled “An Act to regulate commerce,” approved February fourth, eighteen hundred and eighty-seven, as heretofore amended, be further amended by adding thereto the following:
" Punishment for obstructing movement of carriers, etc., during present war.“That on and after the approval of this Act any person or persons who shall, during the war in which the United States is now engaged, knowingly and willfully, by physical force or intimidation by threats of physical force obstruct or retard, or aid in obstructing or retarding, the orderly conduct or movement in the United States of interstate or foreign commerce, or the orderly make-up or movement or disposition of any train, or the movement or disposition of any locomotive, car, or other vehicle on any railroad or elsewhere in the United States engaged in interstate or foreign commerce shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and for every such offense shall be punishable by a fine of not exceeding $100 or by imprisonment for not exceeding six months, or by both such fine and Use of armed torces to prevent, etc.imprisonment; and the President of the United States is hereby authorized, whenever in his judgment the public interest requires, to employ the armed forces of the United States to prevent any such obstruction or retardation of the passage of the mail, or of the orderly conduct or movement of interstate or foreign commerce in any part of the United States, or of any train, locomotive, car, or other vehicle upon any railroad or elsewhere in the United States engaged in interstate *Proviso*.Labor provisions not changed.Vol. 38, pp. 731, 738.or foreign commerce: *Provided*, That nothing in this section shall be construed to repeal, modify, or affect either section six or section twenty of an Act entitled ‘An Act to supplement existing laws against unlawful restraints and monopolies, and for other purposes, approved October fifteenth, nineteen hundred and fourteen.
Preferential transportation of national defense commodities.“That during the continuance of the war in which the United States is now engaged the President is authorized, if he finds it necessary for the national defense and security, to direct that such traffic or such shipments of commodities as, in his judgment, may be essential to the national defense and security shall have preference or priority in transportation by any common carrier by railroad water, Officials to issue orders, etc.or otherwise.
He may give these directions at and for such times as he may determine, and may modify, change, suspend, or annul them, and for any such purpose he is hereby authorized to issue orders direct, or through such person or persons as he may designate for the purpose or through the Interstate Commerce Commission. Officials of the United States, when so designated, shall receive no Compensation, expenses, etc.compensation for their services rendered hereunder. Persons not in the employ of the United States so designated shall receive such compensation as the President may fix.
Suitable offices may be 273rented and all necessary expenses, including compensation of persons so designated, shall be paid as directed by the President out of funds which may have been or may be provided to meet expenditures for the national security and defense. The common carriers Carriers may have agencies in Washington to receive notices, orders, etc.subject to the Act to regulate commerce or as many of them as desire so to do are hereby authorized without responsibility or liability on the part of the United States, financial or otherwise, to establish and maintain in the city of Washington during the period of the war an agency empowered by such carriers as join in the arrangement to receive on behalf of them all notice and service of such orders and directions as may be issued in accordance with this Act, and service upon such agency shall be good service as to all the carriers joining in the establishment thereof.
And it shall be the Orders to be complied with.duty of any and all the officers, agents, or employees of such carriers by railroad or water or otherwise to obey strictly and conform promptly to such orders, and failure knowingly and willfully to comply Penalty for failure.there with, or to do or perform whatever is necessary to the prompt execution of such order, shall render such officers, agents, or employees guilty of a misdemeanor, and any such officer, agent, or employee shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than $5,000, or imprisoned not more than one year, or both, in the discretion of the court.
For Rates for transportation to be fixed by Commission.the transportation of persons or property in carrying out the orders and directions of the President, just and reasonable rates shall be fixed by the Interstate Commerce Commission; and if the transportation be for the Government of the United States, it shall be paid for currently or monthly by the Secretary of the Treasury out of any funds not otherwise appropriated. Any carrier complying Preferences exempt from penalties, etc.with any such order or direction tor preference or priority herein authorized shall be exempt from any and all provisions in existing law imposing civil or criminal pains, penalties, obligations, or liabilities upon carriers by reason of giving preference or priority in compliance with such order or direction.
” " Approved, August 10, 1917.