§ 38 §42 — Duties; vessels arriving

When requested by any person interested, port wardens shall proceed on board of any vessel on her arrival in port and survey her hatches and notice if they are properly caulked and secured, and if they have been opened by some person not a port warden, that fact shall be noticed, and all the facts in relation to the hatches of said vessel shall be entered in the official record. They shall examine the condition and stowage of the cargo of any vessel, and if any portion of it is found to be damaged, they shall inquire into and ascertain the cause thereof, and make a memorandum of the same, noting particularly the marks and numbers of each damaged package, and shall enter the same in full in the records of their office. For the purpose of ascertaining the extent of said damage, they shall examine goods, wares or merchandise of any description in any warehouse or store, or on any wharf or at any place where the same are, provided said goods, wares or merchandise are part of the cargo and are claimed to be damaged. They shall note particularly the marks and numbers of every package examined by them and the extent of the damage received, and all the facts in relation thereto shall be entered in the records of their office.