A & E Pacific Construction Company v. Saipan Stevedore Company, Inc.

888 F.2d 68 A & E PACIFIC CONSTRUCTION COMPANY; American International Knitters Corporation; American Investment Corporation; Basic Construction Company and Supply; Bell Homes, Inc.; Black Microl Corporation, et al., Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. SAIPAN STEVEDORE COMPANY, INC.; Carlos Shoda; Commonwealth Ports Authority, Northern Mariana Islands; Edward Villagomez; George Fleming; Roman Palacios, J.M. Guerrero; Nick Sablan; Rafaela Perry; Vicente Calvo, in their individual and representative capacities, Defendants-Appellees. No. 88-15021. United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Argued and Submitted June 6, 1989. Decided Oct. 19, 1989. Robert O'Connor, O'Connor and Sorensen, Saipan, MP, for plaintiffs-appellants. Gary G. Grimmer, Carlsmith, Wichman, Case, Mukai & Ichiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, for defendants-appellees. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. Before TANG, CANBY and O'SCANNLAIN, Circuit Judges. O'SCANNLAIN, Circuit Judge: 1 In this case of first impression we are called upon to determine whether the Shipping Act of 1984 applies to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and whether the Federal Maritime Commission…