BY-LAWS FOR WATERMEN.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XII, Issue 827, 1 June 1855, Page 3

BY-LAWS FOR WATERMEN.

By -Laws regulating the licensing of persons to act as watermen within the Harbour of Auckland. 1. No person shall for hire, or in expectation of reward, ply any boat for the conveyance of passengers within the Harbour of Auckland unless he shall be thertunto duly licenced by the Committee of tho Auckland Harbour Commissioners. 2. The fee for such license shall be at the rate of 20s. for the year, and in like propoition for each quarter thereof, or part of such quarter, which shall be remaining at the time of obtaining such license. 3. Any person plying such boat as aforesaid without such license as aforesaid, shall forfeit and pay for every such offence any sum not exceeding five pounds. 4. No person licensed as aforesaid shall ply any boa< for the purpose aforesaid within the said harbour unless such boat bhall h<-ne been appiovcd by the said Committee as being safe and fit for such purpose, and unless there shall be painted on some conspicuous part of such boat in legible letters not less than one inch in length the name of such person and the number of his license, and the highest number of passengeis which the said Committee shall have authorised him to convey in such boat. 5. Every application for such license as aforesaid 6hall be made in writing, and shall contain a description of the boat which the applicant may wish to ply, and shall be accompanied by a certificate from the Harbour Master of the said Harbour and the Engineer of the said Committee testifying as to the condition and capability of such boat. 5. No person so licensed as aforesaid shall charge a higher rate of fare than two shillings for the conveying between the hours of sumise and sunset of any passenger in such boat as aforesaid from that part of the south side ot tho said harbouT situate between Resolution Point and Acheron Point, to any vessel within the said limits, nor a higher rate than one shilling for the conveying of such passengers back from such vessel to the said south side, if such passenger shall not detain the person so licensed tor more than fifteen minutes, 7. Any such passenger as aforesaid who shall detain any such licensed perbon as aforesaid more than fifteen minutes alongside such vessel, shall pay unto the person so detained for every hour or part thereof, after the expiration of the said fifteen minutes, during which such person may be detained at the rate of two shillings and sixpence for every such hour, provided always that such waterman shall not be compelled to remain under such detention longer than one hour. 8. The rate of tare for the conveying of any nonadult in any such boat as aforesaid, vrheiuin there shall be one or more adults as passengers, from the said part of the said harbour to any such vessel as aforesaid, shall be the sum of one shilling, and the rate of fare for the conveying of such non-adult back from such vessol to the said part of the said harbour Bhall be the sum of six pence. 9. No person licensed as aforesaid shall, when conveying passengers in such boat as aforesaid , take any luggage therein if any of the said passengers shall object to his doing so ; provided that any vt the said passengers may take in his hand or rest on his lap in such boat, free of all charge, any packages or parcels that many not inconvenience any of the other passengers in such boat. 10. Any person licensed as aforesaid who shall between the hours hereinafter mentioned, refuse to convey in such boat as aforesaid from that part of the south side aforesaid to any vessel within the limits aforesaid any person who may request him to do so, shall forfeit and pay for such refusal any sum not exceeding five pounds, unless ho shall give to such person satisfactory reason for such refusal. 11. The places at which, and the hours during which the person so licenced shall be in attendance with such boats as aforesaid for the purpose of com eying passengers to ami fro wtchin the limits aforesaid shall be iixed lrom time to time by the said Committee. 12. Every person licensed as aforesaid shall be in attendance with his boat from sunrise to sunset every day, excepting Sunday, at some one of the places to be fixd as aforeasid for the purpose of conveying passengers to and fro within the limits aforesaid unless such person shall be ill or indisposed or engaged in conveying such passengers as aforesaid. 13. From the time of sunset to 10 p. m. any such licensed person as afore&oid may charge three shillings, and one Bhilling and sixpence respectively for the conveying, and the convoying back of any passenger, from the part aforesaid of the said south side to any vessel within the limits aforesaid. 14. Every person licensed as aforesaid shall, when requested so to do by the said Committee, attend with his boat at any place within the said harbour appointed by the said Committee, and give his services to the said Committee or their agents in. order to protect the piers, wharfs, and other woi ks within the said harbour, or to regulate vessels on the tidal banks ; and every such person shall be paid for his services by the said Committee such charges as are hereinafter set forth — that is to say, for every boat si required, each tide, 10s.; for every such person and his oar, 75. 36 J .; for every such person without his oar, 55., together with indemnification for any damage accruing from any accident to any boat in such service. 15. Every person so licensed is hereby declared a duly authorised person to prefer charges to the said Committee, or to the Resident Magistrate of Auckland, or other Magistrates thereof, against any pprson who shall without the license of the said Com nittee remove any stone,

sand, or b-illnst iiora any part of the said harbour, or who shall, without sum license, thiow into such harbour or d posit therein any rtibbidh or other matter likely to iiijure or obstruct the said haiboui oi any ship, boat, or other thing therein. 10. Any person who shall pievent any boat from pioper and convenient landing at the lamli.ig s a rs of Queen-street Wharf in the said haibour, by fastening to such stairs any boat oi other description of vessol, or by allowing such boat or \e*sel to ground at or near to such stairs, shall foifeit and pay for e\evy such offence any sum not exceeding twenty shillings ; and every such boat or vessel may be removed by any person authons?d by the said Committee to prevent such obstruction*, piovided that no suih boat or vessel shall be cast 1ui.8.! so as to cause her drifting away during ths absence of the pen sou in charge thereof. Signed by the Chairman of the Committee, and scaled accoiding to " The Auckland Harbour Act," in the presence and by oider ot the Committee of the Auckland Harbour Commissioners, on the 31st day of January, one thousand eight hundred and fiftyfive. (Signed) Wu. Powoitch, Chairman of Harboui Committee. I hereby assent to the By-laws hereinbefore written, this 22nd day of May, 18 J5. Wm. Baowx, Superintendent, of the Province of Auckland.