148.—(1) The Board of Trade may maintain a central seamen’s savings bank in London, and may establish and maintain branch seamen’s savings banks at such ports and places in the United Kingdom as they think expedient, and may receive at those banks deposits from or on account of seamen (whether of the Royal Navy, merchant service or other sea service) or the wives, widows, and children of such seamen F97[…].

(2) The Board of Trade may constitute any mercantile marine office a branch savings bank for seamen, and, if so required, any superintendent of that office shall act as agent of the Board of Trade in executing the provisions of this Act relative to savings banks.

(3) The Board of Trade may make regulations with respect to the persons entitled to become depositors in seamen’s savings banks, the making and withdrawal of deposits, F98[…] the rate and payment of interest, the rights, claims, and obligations of depositors, and all other matters incidental to carrying into execution the provisions of this Act with respect to seamen’s savings banks, and those regulations while in force shall have effect as if enacted in this Act.