(1) The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, fix the fees which shall be payable upon all engagements and discharges effected before a shipping master.
     (2) Scales of the fees payable for the time being shall be conspicuously placed in the shipping office, and a shipping master may refuse to proceed with any engagement or discharge unless the fees payable thereon are first paid.
     (3) Every owner or master of a ship engaging or discharging any seamen in a shipping office or before a shipping masters shall pay to the shipping master the whole of the fees hereby made payable in respect of such engagement or discharge, and may, for the purpose of reimbursing himself in part, deduct in respect of each such engagement or discharge from the wages of all persons (except apprentices) so engaged or discharged, and retain any sums not exceeding such sums as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, fix in this behalf:
     Provided that, if in any case the sums which may be so deducted exceed the amount of the fee payable by him, such excess shall be paid by him to the shipping master in addition to such fee.
     (4) For the purpose of determining the fees to be paid upon the engagement and discharge of seamen belonging to foreign-going ships which have running agreements as hereinafter provided, the crew shall be considered to be engaged when the agreement is first signed, and to be discharged when the agreement finally terminates; and all intermediate engagements and discharges shall be considered to be engagements and discharges of single seamen.