In case any marketing agency comprising a substantial number of code members in any producing field within a district establishes, to the satisfaction of the Commission, that it has no representation upon the district board and that it is fairly entitled thereto, the Commission may, in its discretion, after hearing, increase the membership of such district board so as to provide for such representation. Marketing agencies may be established or maintained within any district by a voluntary association of producers within any producing field therein, as such producing field may be defined by the district board, and function under such general rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the district board, with the approval of the Commission, for the purpose of marketing their coal with due respect for the standards of unfair competition as defined in this Act. Each such marketing agency shall impose no unreasonable or inequitable conditions of membership and shall be truly representative of at least one-third of the tonnage of any producing field or group of producing fields.

The term marketing agency" or "agencies" as used in this Act shall include any trade association of coal producers complying with the requirements of a marketing agency and exercising the functions thereof.

The district boards and marketing agencies shall each have power to adopt bylaws and rules of procedure, subject to approval of the Commission, and to appoint officers from their own membership, to fix their terms and compensation, to provide for reports, and to employ such committees, employees, arbitrators, and other persons necessary to effectuate their purposes. Members of the district board shall serve, as such, without compensation, but may be reimbursed for their reasonable expenses. The territorial boundaries or limits of such twenty-three districts are set forth in the schedule entitled "Schedule of Districts" and annexed to this Act: Provided, That the territorial boundaries or limits of any district or districts may be changed, or said districts may be divided or consolidated, after hearing, by the Commission.

(b) The expense of administering the code by the respective district boards shall be borne by those subject to the jurisdiction of such boards, respectively, each paying his proportionate share, as assessed, computed on a tonnage basis, in accordance with regulations prescribed by such boards with the approval of the Commission. Such assessments may be collected by the district board by action in any court of competent jurisdiction.

(c) Nothing contained in this Act shall constitute the members of a district board partners for any purpose. Nor shall any member of a district board be liable in any manner to any one for any act of any other member, officer, agent or employee of the district board. Nor shall any member of a district board, exercising reasonable diligence in the conduct of his duties under this Act, be liable to any one for any action or omission to act under this Act, except for his own willful misfeasance, or for nonfeasance involving moral turpitude.

PART II-MARKETING

The district boards and code members shall accept and be subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission to approve or to fix minimum and maximum prices, as follows:

(a) All code members shall, in their respective districts, report all spot orders to the district board and shall file with it copies of all contracts for the sale of coal, copies of all invoices, copies of all credit memoranda, and such other information concerning the preparation, cost, sale, and distribution of coal as the Commission may authorize or require. All such records shall be held by the district board as the confidential records of the code member filing such information.

Each district board may set up and maintain a statistical bureau, and the district board may require that such reports and other information in this subsection described shall be filed with such statistical bureau in lieu of the filing thereof with the district board.

Each district board shall, from time to time, on its own motion or when directed by the Commission, establish minimum prices free on board transportation facilities at the mines for kinds, qualities, and sizes of coal produced in said district, with full authority, in establishing such minimum prices, to make such classification of coals and price variations as to mines and consuming market areas as it may deem necessary and proper. In order to sustain the stabilization of wages, working conditions, and maximum hours of labor, said prices shall be established so as to yield a return per net ton for each district in a minimum price area, as such districts are identified and such area is defined in the subjoined table designated "Minimum-price-area table ", equal as nearly as may be to the weighted average of the total costs, per net ton, determined as hereinafter provided, of the tonnage of such minimumprice area. The computation of the total costs shall include the cost of labor, supplies, power, taxes, insurance, workmen's compensation, royalties, depreciation, and depletion (as determined by the Bureau of Internal Revenue in the computation of the Federal income tax) and all other direct expenses of production, coal operators' association dues, district board assessments for Board operating expenses only levied under the code, and reasonable costs of selling and the cost of administration.

MINIMUM-PRICE-AREA TABLE

Area 1: Eastern Pennsylvania, district 1; western Pennsylvania, district 2; northern West Virginia, district 3; Ohio, district 4; Michigan, district 5; Panhandle, district 6; Southern numbered 1, district 7; Southern numbered 2, district 8; West Kentucky, district 9; Illinois, district 10; Indiana, district 11; Iowa, district 12; that part of Southeastern, district 13, comprising Van Buren, Warren, and McMinn Counties in Tennessee.

Area 2: Southeastern, district 13, except Van Buren, Warren, and McMinn Counties in Tennessee.

Area 3: Arkansas-Oklahoma, district 14.

Area 4: Southwestern, district 15.

Area 5: Northern Colorado, district 16; southern Colorado, district 17; New Mexico, district 18.

Area 6: Wyoming, district 19; Utah, district 20.

Area 7: North Dakota and South Dakota, district 21.

Area 8: Montana, district 22.

Area 9: Washington, district 23.

The minimum prices so established shall reflect, as nearly as possible, the relative market value of the various kinds, qualities, and

sizes of coal, shall be just and equitable as between producers within the district, and shall have due regard to the interest of the consuming public. The procedure for establishment of minimum prices. shall be in accordance with rules and regulations to be approved by the Commission.

A schedule of such minimum prices, together with the data upon which they are computed, including, but without limitation, the factors considered in determining the price relationship, shall be submitted by the district board to the Commission, which may approve, disapprove, or modify the same to conform to the requirements of this subsection, and such approval, disapproval, or modification shall be binding upon all code members within the district, subject to such modification therein as may result from the coordination provided for in the succeeding subsection (b): Provided, That all minimum prices established for any kind, quality, or size of coal for shipment into any consuming market area shall be just and equitable as between producers within the district: And provided further, That no minimum price shall be established that permits dumping.

As soon as possible after its creation, each district board shall determine the weighted average of the total costs of the ascertainable tonnage produced in the district in the calendar year 1934. The district board shall adjust the average costs so determined, as may be necessary to give effect to any changes in wage rates, hours of employment, or other factors substantially affecting costs, exclusive of seasonal changes, so as to reflect as accurately as possible any change or changes which may have been established since January 1, 1934. Such determination and the computations upon which it is based shall be promptly submitted to the Commission by each district board in the respective minimum-price area. The Commission shall thereupon determine the weighted average of the total costs of the tonnage for each minimum-price area in the calendar year 1934, adjusted as aforesaid, and transmit it to all the district boards within such minimum-price area. Said weighted average of the total costs shall be taken as the basis for the establishment of minimum prices to be effective until changed by the Commission. Thereafter, upon satisfactory proof made at any time by any district board of a change in excess of 2 cents per net ton of two thousand pounds in the weighted average of the total costs in the minimum-price area, exclusive of seasonal changes, the Commission shall increase or decrease the minimum prices accordingly. The weighted average figures of total cost determined as aforesaid shall be available to the public.

Each district board shall, on its own motion or when directed by the Commission, establish reasonable rules and regulations incidental to the sale and distribution of coal by code members within the district. Such rules and regulations shall not be inconsistent with the requirements of this section and shall conform to the standards of fair competition hereinafter established. Such rules and regulations shall be submitted by the district board to the Commission with a statement of the reasons therefor, and the Commission may approve, disapprove, or modify the same, and such approval, disapproval, or modification shall be binding upon all code members within the district.

(b) District boards shall, under rules and regulations established by the Commission, coordinate in common consuming market areas upon a fair competitive basis the minimum prices and the rules

and regulations established by them, respectively, under subsection (a) hereof. Such coordination, among other factors, but without limitation, shall take into account the various kinds, qualities, and sizes of coal, and transportation charges upon coal. All minimum prices established for any kind, quality, or size of coal for shipment into any consuming market area shall be just and equitable, and not unduly prejudicial or preferential, as between and among districts, and shall reflect, as nearly as possible, the relative market values, at points of delivery in each common consuming market area, of the various kinds, qualities and sizes of coal produced in the various districts to the end of affording the producers in the several districts substantially the same opportunity to dispose of their coals upon a competitive basis as has heretofore existed. The minimum prices established as a result of such coordination shall not, as to any district, reduce or increase the return per net ton upon all the coal produced therein below or above the minimum return as provided in subsection (a) of this section by an amount greater than necessary to accomplish such coordination, to the end that the return per net ton upon the entire tonnage of the minimum price area shall approximate and be not less than the weighted average of the total costs per net ton of the tonnage of such minimum price area. Such coordinated prices and rules and regulations, together with the data upon which they are predicated, shall be submitted to the Commission, which may approve, disapprove, or modify the same to establish and maintain such fair competitive relationship, and such approval, disapproval, or modification shall be binding upon all code members within the affected districts. No minimum price shall be established that permits dumping. On the petition of any district board or other party in interest or on its own motion, after notice to the district boards, the Commission may at any time conduct hearings to determine whether the foregoing method of fixing minimum prices under subsection (a) is prejudicial to any district with respect to the fair opportunity of such district to market its coal. Should the Commission so find, and further find that the prejudice cannot be removed through the coordination of minimum prices as provided for in this subsection (b), then the Commission may establish a different basis for determining minimum prices in such district, to the end that fair and competitive prices shall prevail in the marketing of the coal produced in such district: Provided, That the minimum prices so established as to any such district shall yield a return, per net ton, not less than the weighted average of the total costs, per net ton, of the tonnage of such district.

(c) When, in the public interest, the Commission deems it necessary to establish maximum prices for coal in order to protect the consumer of coal against unreasonably high prices therefor, the Commission shall have the right to fix maximum prices free on board transportation facilities for coal in any district. Such maximum prices shall be established at a uniform increase above the minimum prices in effect within the district at the time, so that in the aggregate the maximum prices shall yield a reasonable return above the weighted average total cost of the district: Provided, That no maximum price shall be established for any mine which shall not return cost plus a reasonable profit.

(d) If any code member or district board, or any State or political subdivision of a State, shall be dissatisfied with such coordination of prices or rules and regulations, or by a failure to establish such coordination of prices or rules and regulations, or by the maximum prices established for him or it pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, he or it shall have the right, by petition, to make complaint to the Commission, and the Commission shall, under rules and regulations established by it, and after notice and hearing, make such order as may be required to effectuate the purpose of subsections (b) and (c) of this section, which order shall be binding upon all parties in interest. Pending final disposition of such petition, and upon reasonable showing of necessity therefor, the Commission may make such preliminary or temporary order as in its judgment may be appropriate, and not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act.

(e) Subject to the exceptions provided in section 12 of this Act, no coal shall be sold or delivered at a price below the minimum or above the maximum therefor approved or established by the Commission, and the sale or delivery of coal at a price below such minimum or above such maximum shall constitute a violation of the code. Subject to the exceptions provided in section 12 of this Act, a contract for the sale of coal at a price below the minimum or above the maximum therefor approved or established by the Commission at the time of the making of the contract shall constitute a violation of the code, and such contract shall be invalid and unenforceable. From and after the date of approval of this Act, until prices shall have been established pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of part II of this section, no contract for the sale of coal shall be made providing for delivery for a period longer than thirty days from the date of the contract.

While this Act is in effect no code member shall make any contract for the sale of coal for delivery after the expiration date of this Act at a price below the minimum or above the maximum therefor approved or established by the Commission and in effect at the time of making the contract.

The minimum prices established in accordance with the provisions of this section shall not apply to coal sold by a code member and shipped outside the domestic market. The domestic market shall include all points within the continental United States and Canada, and car-ferry shipments to the Island of Cuba. Bunker coal delivered to steamships for consumption thereon shall be regarded as shipped within the domestic market. Maximum prices established in accordance with the provisions of this section shall not apply to coal sold by a code member and shipped outside the continental United States,

(f) All data, reports, and other information in the possession of the National Recovery Administration in relation to bituminous coal shall be available to the Commission for the administration of this Act.

(g) The price provisions of this Act shall not be evaded or violated by or through the use of docks or other storage facilities or transportation facilities, or by or through the use of subsidiaries, affiliated sales or transportation companies or other intermediaries or instrumentalities, or by or through the absorption, directly or indirectly, of any transportation or incidental charge of whatsoever