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duration, and in the case of such boats so provided a blast of at least two seconds shall be deemed a prolonged blast within the meaning of the law.

(b)

Every motor boat of class two or three shall carry an efficient

fog horn.

(c) Every motor boat of class two or three shall be provided with an efficient bell, which shall be not less than eight inches across the mouth on board of vessels of class three. (Sec. 4.)

Every motor boat subject to any of the provisions of this Act, and also all vessels propelled by machinery other than by steam more than sixty-five feet in length, shall carry either life-preservers or life belts, or buoyant cushions, or ring buoys or other device, to be prescribed by the Secretary of Commerce, sufficient to sustain afloat every person on board and so placed as to be readily accessible. All motor boats carrying passengers for hire shall carry one life-preserver of the scrt prescribed by the regulations of the board of supervising inspectors for every passenger carried, and no such boat while so carrying passengers for hire shall be operated or navigated except in charge of a person duly licensed for such service by the local board of inspectors. No examination shall be required as the condition of obtaining such a license, and any such license shall be revoked or suspended by the local board of inspectors for misconduct, gross negligence, recklessness in navigation, intemperance, or violation of law on the part of the holder, and if revoked the person holding such license shall be incapable of obtaining another such license for one year from the date of revocation: Provided, That motor boats shall not be required to carry licensed officers, except as required in this Act. (Sec. 5.)

Every motor boat and also every vessel propelled by machinery other than by steam, more than sixty-five feet in length, shall carry ready for immediate use the means of promptly and effectually extinguishing burning gasoline. (Sec. 6.)

A fine not exceeding one hundred dollars may be imposed for any violation of this Act. The motor boat shall be liable for the said penalty and may be seized and proceeded against, by way of libel, in the district court of the United States for any district within which such vessel may be found. (Sec. 7.)

The Secretary of Commerce shall make such regulations as may be necessary to secure the proper execution of this Act by collectors of customs and other officers of the Government. And the Secretary of the Department of Commerce may, upon application therefor, remit or mitigate any fine, penalty, or forfeiture relating to motor boats except for failure to observe the provisions of section six of this Act. (Sec. 8.)

All laws and parts of laws only in so far as they are in conflict herewith are hereby repealed: Provided, That nothing in this Act shall be deemed to alter or amend Acts of Congress embodying or revising international rules for preventing collisions at sea. (June 9, 1910, sec. 9.)

Numbering Motor Boats.

Every undocumented vessel, operated in whole or in part by machinery, owned in the United States and found on the navigable

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waters thereof, except public vessels, and vessels not exceeding sixteen feet in length measured from end to end over the deck excluding sheer, temporarily equipped with detachable motors, shall be numbered. Such numbers shall be not less in size than three inches and painted or attached to each bow of the vessel in such manner and color as to be distinctly visible and legible. (Sec. 1.)

That the said numbers, on application of the owner or master, shall be awarded by the collector of customs of the district in which the vessel is owned and a record thereof kept in the customhouse of the district in which the owner or managing owner resides. No numbers not so awarded shall be carried on the bows of such vessel. (Sec. 2.) That notice of destruction or abandonment of such vessels or change in their ownership shall be furnished within ten days by the owners to the collectors of customs of the districts where such numbers were awarded. Such vessel sold into another customs district may be numbered anew in the latter district. (Sec. 3.)

That the penalty for violation of any provision of this Act shall be $10, for which the vessel shall be liable and may be seized and proceeded against in the district court of the United States in any district in which such vessel may be found. Such penalty on application may be mitigated or remitted by the Secretary of Commerce. (Sec. 4.)

That the Secretary of Commerce shall make such regulations as may be necessary to secure proper execution of this Act by collectors of customs and other officers of the Government. (June 7, 1918, sec. 5.)

Taxes on Water Transportation; Sale and Use of Motor Boats.

That from and after April 1, 1919, there shall be levied, assessed, collected, and paid, in lieu of the taxes imposed by section 500 of the Revenue Act of 1917

(a) A tax equivalent to 3 per centum of the amount paid for the transportation on or after such date, by rail or water or by any form of mechanical motor power when in competition with carriers by rail or water, of property by freight transported from one point in the United States to another; and a like tax on the amount paid for such transportation within the United States of property transported from a point without the United States to a point within the United States;

(b) A tax of 1 cent for each 20 cents or fraction thereof of the amount paid to any person for the transportation on or after such date, by rail or water or by any form of mechanical motor power when in competition with express by rail or water, of any package, parcel, or shipment, by express, transported from one point in the United States to another; and a like tax on the amount paid for such transportation within the United States of property transported from a point without the United States to a point within the United States;

(c) A tax equivalent to 8 per centum of the amount paid for the transportation on or after such date of persons by rail or water, or by any form of mechanical motor power on a regular established line when in competition with carriers by rail or water, from one point in the United States to another or to any point in Canada or Mexico, where the ticket or order therefor is sold or issued in the United

States, not including the amount paid for commutation or season tickets for trips less than thirty miles, or for transportation the fare for which does not exceed 42 cents: Provided, That where such water transportation lines are in competition between Amercian ports with foreign water transportation lines from adjacent foreign ports, the tax imposed under this subdivision on amounts paid for water transportation between American ports shall not exceed the amount of the transportation tax to which such foreign water transportation lines are subjected by their government corresponding to this tax;

(d) A tax equivalent to 8 per centum of the amount paid for seats, berths, and staterooms in parlor cars, sleeping cars, or on vessels used on or after such date in connection with transportation upon which tax is imposed by subdivision (c). (Sec. 500.)

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That there shall be levied, assessed, collected, and paid upon the following articles sold or leased by the manufacturer, producer, or importer, a tax equivalent to the following percentages of the price for which so sold or leased- (Feb. 24, 1919, sec. 900.)

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Yachts and motor boats not designed for trade, fishing, or national defense; and pleasure boats and pleasure canoes if sold for more that $100, 10 per centum. (Nov. 23, 1921, sec. 900, par. 14.)

SPECIAL TAX ON USE OF BOATS.

That on and after July 1, 1922, and thereafter on July 1 in each year, and also at the time of the original purchase of a new boat by a user, if on any other date than July 1, there shall be levied, assessed, collected, and paid, in lieu of the tax imposed by section 1003 of the Revenue Act of 1918, upon the use of yachts, pleasure boats, power boats, sailing boats, and motor boats with fixed engines, of over five net tons and over thirty-two feet in length, not used exclusively for trade, fishing, or national defense, or not built according to plans and specifications approved by the Navy Department, a special excise tax to be based on each yacht or boat, at rates as follows: Yachts, pleasure boats, power boats, motor boats with fixed engines, and sailing boats, of over five net tons, length over thirtytwo feet and not over fifty feet, $1 for each foot; length over fifty feet, and not over one hundred feet, $2 for each foot; length over one hundred feet, $4 for each foot.

In determining the length of such yachts, pleasure boats, power boats, motor boats with fixed engines, and sailing boats, the measurement of over-all length shall govern.

In the case of a tax imposed at the time of the original purchase of a new boat on any other date than July 1, the amount to be paid shall be the same number of twelfths of the amount of the tax as the number of calendar months (including the month of sale) remaining prior to the following July 1.

This section shall not apply to vessels or boats used without profit by any benevolent, charitable. or religious organizations, exclusively for furnishing aid, comfort, or relief to seamen. (Nov. 23, 1921, sec. 1003.)

OCCUPATIONAL TAXES.

Ship brokers shall pay $50. Every person whose business it is as a broker to negotiate freights and other business for the owners of vessels or for the shippers or consignors or consignees of freight carried by vessels, shall be regarded as a ship broker.

Customhouse brokers shall pay $50. Every person whose occupation it is, as the agent of others, to arrange entries and other customhouse papers, or transact business at any port of entry relating to the importation or exportation of goods, wares, or merchandise, shall be regarded as a customhouse broker. (Nov. 23, 1921, sec. 1001.) International Rules of 1890.

The following regulations for preventing collisions at sea shall be followed by all public and private vessels of the United States upon the high seas and in all waters connected therewith, navigable by sea-going vessels.

PRELIMINARY DEFINITIONS.

In the following rules every steam vessel which is under sail and not under steam is to be considered a sailing-vessel, and every vessel under steam, whether under sail or not, is to be considered a steamvessel.

The word "steam-vessel" shall include any vessel propelled by machinery.

A vessel is "under way" within the meaning of these rules when she is not at anchor, or made fast to the shore, or aground.

II.-LIGHTS AND SO FORTH.

The word "visible" in these rules when applied to lights shall mean visible on a dark night with a clear atmosphere.

ARTICLE 1. The rules concerning lights shall be complied with in all weathers from sunset to sunrise, and during such time no other lights which may be mistaken for the prescribed lights shall be exhibited.

STEAM VESSELS-MASTHEAD LIGHT.

ART. 2. A steam-vessel when under way shall carry-(a) On or in front of the foremast, or if a vessel without a foremast, then in the fore part of the vessel, at a height above the hull of not less than twenty feet, and if the breadth of the vessel exceeds twenty feet, then at a height above the hull not less than such breadth, so, however, that the light need not be carried at a greater height above the hull than forty feet, a bright white light, so constructed as to show an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of twenty points of the compass, so fixed as to throw the light ten points on each side of the vessel, namely, from right ahead to two points abaft the beam on either side and of such a character as to be visible at a distance of at least five miles.

STEAM VESSELS-SIDE LIGHTS.

(b) On the starboard side a green light so constructed as to show an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of ten points of the compass, so fixed as to throw the light from right ahead to two points abaft the beam on the starboard side, and of such a character as to be visible at a distance of at least two miles.

(c) On the port side a red light so constructed as to show an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of ten points of the compass, so fixed as to throw the light from right ahead to two points abaft the beam on the port side, and of such a character as to be visible at a distance of at least two miles.

(d) The said green and red side-lights shall be fitted with inboard screens projecting at least three feet forward from the light, so as to prevent these lights from being seen across the bow.

STEAM VESSELS-RANGE LIGHTS.

(e) A steam-vessel when under way may carry an additional white light similar in construction to the light mentioned in subdivision (a). These two lights shall be so placed in line with the keel that one shall be at least fifteen feet higher than the other, and in such a position with reference to each other that the lower light shall be forward of the upper one. The vertical distance between these lights shall be less than the horizontal distance.

STEAM-VESSELS WHEN TOWING.

ART. 3. A steam-vessel when towing another vessel shall, in addition to her side-lights, carry two bright white lights in a vertical line one over the other, not less than six feet apart, and when towing more than one vessel shall carry an additional bright white light six feet above or below such light, if the length of the tow measuring from the stern of the towing vessel to the stern of the last vessel towed exceeds six hundred feet. Each of these lights shall be of the same construction and character, and shall be carried in the same position as the white light mentioned in article two (a), excepting the additional light, which may be carried at a height of not less than fourteen feet above the hull.

Such steam-vessel may carry a small white light abaft the funnel or aftermast for the vessel towed to steer by, but such light shall not be visible forward of the beam.

SPECIAL LIGHTS.

ART. 4. (a) A vessel which from any accident is not under command shall carry at the same height as a white light mentioned in article two (a), where they can best be seen, and if a steam-vessel in lieu of that light, two red lights, in a vertical line one over the other, not less than six feet apart, and of such a character as to be visible all around the horizon at a distance of at least two miles; and shall by day carry in a vertical line one over the other, not less than six feet apart, where they can best be seen, two black balls or shapes, each two feet in diameter.

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