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74TH CONGRESS . SESS . I. CH. 747. AUGUST 27, 1935 . [CHAPTER 747 .] AN ACT Au gust 27, 1935. [S. 20 02 .] To provide for the establishment of load lines for American vessels in the coast- [Public, No.354.]
wise trade, and for other purposes . Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States o f America in Congress assembled, That load lines are hereby established for merchant vessels of one hundred and fifty gross tons or over, loading at or proceeding to sea from any port or place within the United States or its possessions for a coastwise voyage by sea . By "coastwise voyage by sea " is meant a voyage on whi ch a ves sel in t he usual course of her e mploymen t procee ds from one port or place in the United States or her possessions to another port or place in the United States or her possessions and passes outside the line dividing inland waters from the high seas, as defined in section 2 of the Act of February 19, 1895. SEC. 2. The Secretary of Commerce is hereby authorized and directed in respect of the vessels defined above to establish by regu- lations from time to time the load water lines and marks thereof indicating the maximum depth to which such vessels may safely be l oaded an d in est ablishin g such l oad line s due co nsiderat ion shal l be given to, and differentials made for, the various types and char- acter of vessels and the trades in which they are engaged
- Provided,
T hat the load-lin e provis ions of this Act shall a pply to the Grea t Lakes and that no load line shall be established or marked on any vessel which load line gives a lesser freeboard and less buoyancy Vol .47,p .2228. t han the load lin e establ ished by the Int ernation al Treat y on Loa d Lines of 1930, and that the regulations established under this proviso shall have the force of law : Provided further, That in applying the l oad line s to ves sels on the Grea t Lakes the Secr etary of Commerc e is vested with discretion to vary the load-line marks from those established by said Treaty when in his opinion the changes made by him will not be above the actual line of safety . SEC . 3 It shall be the duty of the owner and of the master of every vessel subject to this Act and to the regulations established there- under to cause the load line or lines so established to be permanently and conspicuously marked upon the vessel in such manner as the Secretary of Commerce shall direct, and to keep the same so marked . The Secretary of Commerce shall appoint the American Bureau of Shipping, or such other American corporation or association for the survey or registry of shipping as may be selected by him, to determine wh eth er the position and man ner of ma rk ing on su ch vessels the load line or lines so established are in accordance with the provisions of this Act and of the regulations established there- under : Provided, however, That, at the request of the shipowner, the Secretary of Commerce may appoint, for the purpose aforesaid, a ny other corpora tion or associat ion for the surv ey or re gistry o f shipping which the Secretary of Commerce may approve ; or the Secretary of Co mme rce may appoint for said purpose any officer of the Government, who sha ll per fo rm such services as may be d irected by the S ecretary of Comm erce . The Secret ary of Comm erce may, in his discretion, revoke any appointment made pursuant to this sec tion . Such corporation, association or officer shall, upon approving the position and manner of marking of such load line or lines, is sue a certific ate, in a for m to be presc ribed by the S ecre- tary of Commerce, that the same are in accordance with the provi- sions of this Act and of the regulations established thereunder, and shall deliver a copy thereof to the master of the vessel . It shall be unlawful for any vessel subject to this Act and to said regulations to depart from any port or place designated in section 1 without Coastwise Load Line Act, 1935 . L oad lines estab- lished for vessels in coastwise voyage by sea . Te rm de fined . Vol.28,p.672;U.S. C.,p. 1454 . Load water lines and marks ; establishment . Post, p. 1543 . Provisos. Applicable to Great Lakes. Changes permitted, Great Lakes . Mark ing lin es on vessels. Appointment of Amer ican Bure au of Shipping to determine correctness . Provi so . Other agencies may sur vey, etc., at request of shipowners. Certificates of ap- proval . Unlawful for vessel to depart without .
