APRIL 7.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 589

87. The Examiner, in sending in his report of the examination, should state where the examination has been held.

88. Candidates will be required to give written answers to sixteen out of twenty questions taken from a book of elementary questions published for the Marine Department.* These questions will be altered from time to time without notice. The twenty questions are not to be difficult, theoretical, or book questions, but are to be such as any man of ordinary capacity who has any practical knowledge of the use and working of the steam-engine ought to answer.

89. These questions, with the candidate’s answers, should be sent to the Marine Department with the reports, after each examination.

90. If a candidate refers to any book, or paper, or memorandum, or obtains information from another candidate during the examination, he will be treated as having failed, will forfeit his fee, and will not be allowed to be re-examined for a period of three months.

91. The Examiners will report, in the case of failure, the nature of the question or questions that decided the failure, or the point in the management of the engine in which the candidate was deficient.

92. There is nothing in the regulations requiring that applicants for the voluntary examination shall have served on board steamships; all that is required is that they shall have a practical knowledge of the use and working of the steam-engine. Examiners will not fail to appreciate the fact that practical knowledge is best gained in the engine-room; and the examination of an officer who does not produce official evidence of service in steamships and of experience of engines must necessarily be more searching than in the case of one who produces evidence of such service and experience.

RULES FOR ESTIMATING SEA-SERVICE.

93. In these regulations sea-service is reckoned from the commencement to the termination of the voyage. The certificates of discharge will generally be accepted as proof of sea-service. Superintendents and Examiners will be careful to see that these discharges have not been in any way tampered with, and will report any suspicious cases to the Marine Department.

94. For foreign-going certificates the term “sea-service” means, unless otherwise stated, service performed in foreign-going vessels.

95. For home-trade passenger-ship certificates service in the home or coasting trade is regarded as equivalent to service in the foreign trade; but for foreign-going certificates it is regarded as only equivalent to two-thirds of the time served in the foreign trade.

96. By the word “certificate” is meant a certificate of competency granted by the Board of Trade under the Merchant Shipping Act or by the Government of a British possession under an Order in Council issued in pursuance of the Merchant Shipping (Colonial) Act, 1869, and the Shipping and Seamen’s Acts, 1877–1894.

97. Where a foreign-going certificate is required in order to qualify a candidate for examination, the certificate may be either an ordinary certificate, or a certificate for fore-and-aft-rigged vessels, or a certificate for foreign-going steamships.

98. The term “pilot” in these regulations (see pars. 32 and 57) means a pilot who is employed in general pilotage, and holds a first-class pilot’s certificate from some competent authority authorising him to pilot vessels outside harbour and partially smooth-water limits.

99. Officer’s service, to be recognised as such, must be performed with the requisite certificate. The officer’s service performed by men who have been duly promoted during the course of a voyage (see par. 103), or who, in consequence of serving in vessels plying between ports abroad, have been unable to obtain the necessary certificates, may, however, be recognised, provided that it is in other respects satisfactory.

100. Foreign officers who wish to apply for a British certificate of competency must in all cases have performed their qualifying officer’s service with the requisite British certificate. The service may have been performed in foreign vessels if the candidate can produce satisfactory testimonials to conduct and character, and is able to prove that the service has been in the required capacities, and that during the period of service he has held a British certificate of competency of the rank required by the regulations. (See par. 105.)

101. When service in charge of a watch in either the foreign or home trade is specified in the regulations the candidate will have to prove that during the whole of the time claimed he had the regular charge of a watch or watches, which, if in the foreign trade, must amount to not less than eight hours of each twenty-four hours of service. It must be distinctly understood that occasional service in charge of a watch will not be accepted as mate’s service under the regulations. Great care must be exercised by the Examiners and others in regard to such service, and, unless the candidate produces a clear and satisfactory certificate, specially setting forth the above facts, from the master or owner of the vessel in which the service was performed, it must not be accepted.

102. Service as additional or auxiliary first mate, or as auxiliary second mate, when a third mate is carried, in large foreign-going vessels, will count as first mate’s or second mate’s service, as the case may be, provided that the candidate was entered on the articles in one of these capacities, and that he was, during the whole time claimed, in charge of a watch or watches.

103. Whenever a man has, from any cause, been regularly promoted on the occurrence of a vacancy in the course of the voyage from the rank in which he first shipped, and such promotion, with the ground on which it has been made, is properly entered in the articles and in the official log-book, he will receive credit for his service in the higher grade for the period subsequent to his promotion.

104. Service in a lower grade than first or only mate in the home or coasting trade will not be recognised as officer’s service towards qualifying a candidate for examination for a foreign-trade certificate.

105. The testimonials of service of foreigners and of British officers and seamen serving in foreign vessels, which cannot be verified by the Marine Department, must be confirmed either by the Consul of the country to which the ship in which the candidate served belonged, or by some other recognised official authority of that country, or by the testimony of some credible person on the spot having personal knowledge of the facts required to be established. The production, however, of such proofs will not of necessity be deemed sufficient. Each case will be decided on its own merits, and if the sufficiency of the proofs given appears to be at all doubtful it must be referred to the Marine Department.

106. Service in vessels with auxiliary power, which use their screws only in calms or during light winds, is considered as service performed in sailing-vessels.

107. In the case of excursion-steamers only such service as can be proved to have been performed at sea will be accepted.

108. Candidates whose service has been performed in capacities other than apprentice, midshipman, cadet, ordinary seaman, or able seaman—e.g., men who have served as carpenter, or sailmaker, or as cook in small vessels where cooking is only a part of a man’s duty—will be required to satisfy the Examiner or the Marine Department that they have during the whole time claimed performed deck-duties in addition to their own particular work, and that they have a good knowledge of seamanship. These facts may possibly be proved by the production of satisfactory certificates from the masters with whom the applicant has served; but such service will only be accepted as equivalent to two-thirds of the time served as ordinary deck-hand. Failing satisfactory evidence, the applicant will be required to perform additional service in the capacity of seaman. Service as cook (under other conditions than the above), or as steward, or as purser will not be accepted.

109. Service performed exclusively in trawlers and other deep-sea fishing-vessels or in pilot-vessels will not qualify a candidate for examination. He must, in addition, prove the following service:—

(1.) For a foreign-going certificate, service for at least eighteen months in an ordinary trading-vessel in the foreign trade, or the equivalent period, twenty-seven months, in the home or coasting trade.

(2.) For a home-trade passenger-ship certificate service for at least twelve months in an ordinary trading-vessel in the foreign, home, or coasting trade.

110. Service in pleasure yachts will be accepted as qualifying service under the following conditions:—

(a.) It must in all cases be verified by satisfactory proofs, which must set forth clearly and in detail the nature and duration of the service claimed; and it must be distinctly understood that only actual sea-service will be accepted, and that service in harbour or port is inadmissible.

(b.) Service in foreign-going yachts will be accepted in full; and service performed within home-trade limits in sailing-yachts of not less than 50 tons net register or in steam-yachts of not less than 80 tons gross register will be accepted in the proportion stated in paragraph 95; but candidates must also show—(1) For a foreign-going certificate, service for at least eighteen months in an ordinary trading-vessel in the foreign trade, or for the equivalent period, twenty-seven months, in an ordinary trading-vessel in the home or coasting trade; (2) for a home-trade passenger-ship certificate, service for at least twelve months in an ordinary trading-vessel in the foreign, home, or coasting trade.

*Printed at the end of the regulations relating to the examination of engineers.