432 INTERNATIONAL LAWS FOR THE 



and inconvenience would be entailed by the enactment of 

 Clause O., which provides that "every such indenture of 

 apprenticeship and agreement as therein mentioned shall 

 contain all the covenants, provisions, stipulations and 

 certificates set forth in the form of apprenticeship inden- 

 ture, in the schedule to the draft clauses, and that 

 indentures and agreements not in accordance therewith 

 shall be void against the apprentice or boy." At no port 

 is it the custom to provide meat, drink, lodging, washing, 

 sea bedding, and wearing apparel, for the boys engaged 

 not being apprentices. They are provided with board 

 while afloat, but provide their own sea bedding, wearing 

 apparel, and other necessaries. On shore they provide their 

 own board and lodging, generally living with their parents 

 or relations ; and no master, as is proposed to be required, 

 would undertake to be saddled with the responsibility of 

 looking after boys (not apprenticed), while they are on 

 shore, and most likely under the control of their parents 

 or relations. If these clauses are to apply to all boys 

 under eighteen years of age, even if not apprenticed, the 

 employment of such boys in the fishing industry will at 

 once be abolished by an impractical law, and consequently 

 serious injury to the fisheries and the nation will arise. 



Sufficient reasons have now been given to indicate that, 

 with the solitary exception of Clause 269 of the Merchant 

 Shipping Act, 1854, as regards fishing vessels, the draft 

 clauses, as they are drawn up, are positively detrimental 

 to the fishing industry, as well as impracticable. One main 

 objection is, that the regulations proposed by these clauses 

 would cause great delay, while expedition is the very 

 life of this industry. 



Fish are here to-day and gone to-morrow, and must be 

 caught when the opportunity offers, therefore every facility 



