PROVISIONAL REGULATIONS UNDER THE WAR PRECAUTIONS ACT 1914-1915.

I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby certify that, on account of urgency, the following Regulations under the War Precautions Act 1914-1915 should come into immediate operation, and make the Regulations to come into operation forthwith as Provisional Regulations.

Dated this nineteenth day of April, 1916.

R. M. FERGUSON,

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

G. F. PEARCE,

Minister of State for Defence.

War Precautions (Shipping) Regulations.

Short title

1. These Regulations may be cited as the War Precautions (Shipping) Regulations 1916.

Vessels not to leave Commonwealth without a licence.

2. (1) No vessel to which this Regulation applies shall leave any port in the Commonwealth for any destination beyond the Commonwealth unless she has been licensed so to do by the Comptroller-General of Customs or by some person thereto authorized by him, and the master, owners, agents and charterers of any vessel which leaves any port in the Commonwealth in contravention of this Regulation shall be guilty of an offence against the Act.

(2) An application for a licence under this Regulation must be made in writing at least three days before the proposed time of departure of the vessel, or, in the case of vessels carrying any cargo loaded at a previous port, at least seven days before the proposed time of departure of the vessel, and must set forth—

(а) the name of the vessel;

(b) the proposed destination of the vessel;

(d) the principal cargo proposed to be carried in the vessel; and

(e) the proposed date of return of the vessel to Australia.

(3) Subject to sub-regulation (4), this Regulation applies to the following vessels:—

(a) Vessels owned in the Commonwealth or vessels of any nationality under time charter to any person firm or company resident or carrying on business in the Commonwealth; and

C. 4291.—Price 3d.

(b) British vessels now in any port in the Commonwealth or hereafter arriving in any such port, and proposing to leave the Commonwealth for any destination abroad with more than ten per centum of cargo space unfilled.

(4) The provisions of this Regulation shall not apply to vessels engaged in regular trade between the Commonwealth and New Zealand, or between the Commonwealth and the Islands of the Pacific.

(5) The Comptroller-General of Customs may, at his discretion, grant or refuse any licence applied for under this Regulation or grant it subject to such conditions restrictions and limitations as he thinks fit.

(6) Any person making any false statement in an application for a licence under this Regulation shall be guilty of an offence against the Act.

Repeal.

3. Regulation 40a of the War Precautions Regulations made by Statutory Rules 1916, No. 26, as amended by Statutory Rules 1916, No. 39, is hereby repealed save as to any right, privilege, obligation or liability acquired, accrued or incurred thereunder.

Printed and Published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by Albert J. Mullett, Government Printer for the State of Victoria.