New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-12-01
ENCAGENG AND DIsCHARGLNG SEA
HEN

An Epitone oE the New Reguiations-Iz1-
pOrtHnE to Ship Overs and Agents
The New Federal OBcc and it's Gncum-
henCs.
it Is important 20 ship OWE ers, agents, and
all who "go down TO the sea in ships, >
either as masters OF sailors, to know that
the act OF Congress, approved June 2, 1872,
creating new bosded officer at each port
Of ocean navigation, has gone into effect at
| New Orleans. As provided, the United
States Circuit Court has appointed "ship-
! ping commissioner" whose duty it is to
regulate the shipping and discharge Of
! aeamen engaged in cur merchant service,
| experience having demonstrated the neceR
sity of protecting both ships and sailors
from the unscrupuious and evil practices
! OF sailor clearinghouse keepers, runners
| and the other harpies who have heretofore
| acted as the Intermediates between en-
| Ployers and employed.
! We give q brief synopsi8 Of the Law for
the information Of those concerned; The
| Circuit Courts have fall power to appoint
| and remove commissioners, and to regulate
| the mode of conducting business in shipping
| Offices where the lag hag not expressly de-
| fined it. The maintenance of the Office is
| taken from the fees Of the commissioner,
who ia made responsible in full for all Off
cial acts OF his clerks or deputies. Ike
principal duties are keeping q register of
the names and characters OF all classes of
| seamen; experimenting their engagement
and discharge; secariug the presence on
board at the proper tIne Of engaged men,
and apprentioing Rropee parties to the sea
service.
The fees Of the commissioner are: For
engaging crew, esek member, 50; dis
charging crew, each member, tfty'centa;
for each boy indeDsured, a5; the ship to
deduct twenty-five cents IN each case, ex-
cept spprentieing, from the wages of the
men. The commissioner may demand his
fees from the vessel In advance but to re-
saaiyo any remuneration whatever in excess
Of these lawful fees subjects the commits.
sioper oF his euploye 80 transgressipg to
fine not exc eding 1900
ANY person not authorized who may at
tempt to perform, directly or indirectly,
the duties this act assigns to shipping com
missionets, is liable to % fue Of $500, pro
vided that the master, owner or consignee
may act az commissioner for himsclf
Forms and articles Of agreement are
duly prescribed by tie Las, and severe pen
altics attach to failures to fully comply
with then, es well as for carrying sailor
to sea whose descriptive list does not ap-
pear in the official Bhipaing articles. Mas
ters Of foroign-going ships mast produce to
the commissioner for registry the indenture
Of any apprentice th9y may now have en-
ployed and should they engage q seaman
at foreign port they aust obtain the sane
ton CT the United ssates consular OF com
mercial agent, and comply il every respect
with the regulations Of this act.
The advance wages OF security must 6e
entered in the articles and in no case ean
suoh be given to any person but the seaman
himself, or his wife OF mother, or except in |
presence OF the commissioner. Pn case OF a
breach OF this regulation, tue advance shall
tie recoverable rs il it had not been paid.
There are many other specifications in
tho act, providing for every known copSin-
genoy and Ill. pute, which are calculated to
exact rigid justice fer all parties; and witf
good men filing the commissioners biiletS,
many abuses which Snip owners, as well AZ
their servants, have long endured, must a.
once become impossible Of repetition.
THE BBW ORLEiEs C0aMIBs1oNER.
Is Captain William Wright, than whom Il
better selection Judge Dureu could not pos
ably have made. For nineteen years the |
appointee hes eerved the government, Ios & !
before tie rebellion acquiring record FOR |
conspicuous gallentcy and talthfaIncss ID I
duty in the arduous military service Of the |
and Western frontiers. His re-
cord In the volunteer service is most en- 7
iable, he retiring at the close of the war
with the commission OF captain In that
rack corps Of IfishneE, she Ninth Connec- |
lieut.
In the civil service he has won the esteem
and friendship OF all who have during
nonths past transaoted business as the GUS
oms appraisers office, and he will, we
know, in his new sphere. add to the high re
pect in which be is noB held.
Captain Wright has shown excellent
in naming CoLoLel William Roy
.s chief deputy in the shipping oommis-
ioner's Office, which latter has been 10
ated on Old Levee street, just below Jack
on square, and where both gentlemen ore
yer on the alert t. accommodate the ship
ing public.