Emigrant runners.—For the purposes of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, an emigrant runner is defined as a person, other than a licensed passage-broker or his bond fide salaried clerk, "who, in or within five miles of the outer boundaries of any port, for hire or reward or the expectation thereof, directly or indirectly con ducts, solicits, influences, or recommends any intending emigrant to or on behalf o any passage-broker, or any owner, charterer, or master of a ship, or any keeper of a lodging-house, tavern or shop, or any money-changer, or other dealer or Chapman, for any purpose connected with the preparations or arrangtdients for a passage, or gives, or pretends to give, to any intending emigrant any information or assistance in any way relating to emigration." Licence and badge.—An emi gration runner must always hold a licence. This is obtained from the licensing authority for passage-brokers for the place in which he wishes to carry on his business ; it will be granted only upon. the written recommendation of an emigration officer, or of the chief constable, or other head officer of police in that place. It must be lodged with the local emigration officer within forty-eight hours after it is granted. That officer then registers the name and abode of the runner ; and, upon receipt of a fee not exceeding seven shillings, supplies the runner with a badge. In the ease of a renewed licence the officer need only note the renewal and its date in the registry book : and lie must also note a change of address of the runner. The licence remains in force until the 31st December in the year in which it is granted, unless previously revoked or forfeited. A new badge can be obtained from the emigration officer if the original one is lost, or mutilated or defaced, upon payment of a fee of five shillings. A penalty of £5 is incurred by any one who (a) acts as an emigrant runner without being duly licensed and registered ; or (b) retains or uses a runner's badge not issued to him according to the law ; or (c) counterfeits or forges such a badge ; or (d) employs as a runner a person who is not duly licensed and registered. And a penalty of forty shillings, and a forfeiture of his licence, is incurred by an emigrant runner who—(a) while so acting does not wear his badge conspicuously on his breast ; or (b) does not duly lodge his licence with the emigrant officer ; or (c) on changing his abode, does not within forty-eight hours give notice of the change to the emigration officer of the port in which he is licensed to act ; or (d) on losing his badge, does not within forty-eight hours give notice to such emigration officer ; or (e) does not produce on demand his badge for inspection, or permit any person to take its number ; or CO mutilates or defaces his badge ; or (g) wears his badge while unlicensed ; or (h) wears any other badge than that delivered to him by the emigration officer ; or (i) permits another person to use his badge. Remuneration.—He is not entitled to recover
from a passage-broker any fee, commission, or reward for or in consideration of a service connected with emigration, unless he is acting under the written authority of that passage-broker. I ic incurs a fine of £5 if he takes or demands a fee from any person about to emigrate for procuring his steerage passage, or in any way relating thereto.
Frauds in procuring emigralion.—A fine of £50, or imprisonment, is the punish ment for a person who, by any false representation, fraud, or false pretence, induces or attempts to induce any one to emigrate or engage a steerage passage in any ship. And one of £50 upon any one who—(a) falsely represents himself to be, or falsely assumes to act as, agent of the Board of Trade in assisting persons who desire to emigrate ; or (b) sells any form of application, embarkation order, or other document or paper issued by the Board of trade, or by a Secretary of State, for the purpose of assisting persons who desire to emigrate ; or (c) makes any false representation in any such application for assistance to the Board of Trade, or a Secretary of State, or in any certificate of marriage, birth, or baptism, or other document or statement adduced in support of any such application ; or (d) forges or fraudulently alters any signature or statement in any such application, certificate, document, or statement, or personates any person named therein ; or (e) aids or abets any person in committing any of the foregoing offences.