' 



' 



360 INTERNATIONAL LAWS FOR THE 



then shipping to another vessel to do the like again. So 

 they have gone on till they have got too well known in one 

 port and have tramped to another, to remain there till the 

 game was once more played out. In this manner the 

 round of the ports of the kingdom is done. This system 

 has also been pursued by some men who have taken ad- 

 vantage of the Act to pursue a course of idleness and vice. 

 But this has been only a portion of the bad effect of the 

 passing of this Act on boys. However good the intentions 

 of the framers of it may have been, it has acted most 

 unkindly and cruelly on the apprentices and crews of fishing 

 vessels themselves, besides inflicting the most serious pecu- 

 niary losses on owners. Since the passing of the Act it has 

 been practically useless to bind boys as apprentices ; owners 

 are therefore ceasing to do so, and employing lads and 

 boys by the week. They are consequently taught nothing, 

 to their own future detriment and that of the industry itself. 

 Payment of The modes of payment of crews of fishing vessels are 

 very varied. They are entirely different under different 

 circumstances, such as ports, class of vessels, and nature of 

 fishing to be prosecuted. It will be sufficient for the 

 purpose here to give them generally. In Scotland the co- 

 operative system is principally pursued ; the crew provide 

 the boat and nets between them and share according to 

 the proportion of gear contributed by each. An evil 

 which in some cases has been found to accompany the 

 co-operative system may here be pointed out. It is the 

 stealing of gear or misappropriation of any that is suit- 

 able and may happen to be picked up at sea. In many 

 instances, the crews, through being owners of gear, have 

 been induced to retain what they have picked up, 

 whereas, had they been paid only by the share, gear being 

 of no use to them, they would have delivered it up to the 



crews. 



