Jan. 25.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 169

PAY, ETC., OF ENGINEER OFFICERS OF THE ROYAL NAVY.

• Junior service allowed to reckon on the following scale: Under twelve years’ service in junior rank, nil; above twelve years’ service in junior rank, one-third of the period in excess of twelve years. Junior service is all confirmed time served as assistant engineer and engineer from the age of twenty. Officers passed over for unsatisfactory conduct or failure to qualify for promotion to the senior grade, but who may subsequently be promoted, are not allowed to count their junior service between the dates of their being passed over and the dates of their promotion.

Charge Pay.

Engineer officers, when in charge of machinery of ships in commission, are allowed charge pay, varying from 1s. to 9s. a day, the rate for each ship being determined by the Admiralty.

Senior engineers of ships in commission having engines of 3,000 indicated horse-power and upwards are allowed an additional 1s. a day.

Engineer officers, when in charge of the machinery of torpedo-boats in commission, are allowed charge pay at rates determined by the Admiralty.

Engineers or assistant engineers, when in charge of the machinery of torpedo-boats in reserve, are allowed charge pay at 1s. a day.

Half Charge Pay.

In ships in the fleet and dockyard reserves, half of the rates of charge pay and senior engineers’ allowances payable whilst in commission are to be paid to their engineer officers; but in the case of ships with engines of 2,000 indicated horse-power and under, charge pay at 1s. a day is to be paid.

Extra Pay.

The chief inspectors and inspectors of machinery in the reserves, in consideration of their responsible duties, are allowed an additional 3s. a day.

Fleet, staff, and chief engineers of flag-ships are allowed an additional 2s. 6d. to 5s. per day.

Promotion.

Assistant engineers, qualified for advancement are eligible for promotion to the rank of engineer after five years’ service. Assistant engineers count their probationary time towards increase of pay and promotion as stated in paragraph 34 of these regulations.

The promotion of engineers, fleet engineers, and inspectors of machinery depends on the number of vacancies that occur in the several superior ranks.

Retired-pay.

The following table shows the age for retirement from active service of engineer officers, and the maximum retired pay of each rank:—

• Qualified for promotion.
  † Not qualified for promotion.
  ‡ Optional retirement suspended for the present.

On attaining the rank of chief engineer, and afterwards, and if forty years of age or over, the amount of retired-pay depends both on age and length of service, the maximum for each rank being as above, and the minimum rate the amount of half-pay of the officer as per scale previously given. Retirement would take place between the ages given in the above table, except in the following cases:—

(1.) Five years’ half-pay time in either of the ranks of assistant engineer, engineer, chief, staff, or fleet engineer; or seven years’ half-pay time in the ranks of inspector or chief inspector of machinery:

(2.) Physical unfitness for service:

(3.) Misconduct.

Pensions or gratuities for wounds or injuries can be granted by the Admiralty in addition to the ordinary retiring-allowances.

Retired-pay and half-pay are subject to deductions in case of misconduct.

Naval and Greenwich Hospital Pensions.

These pensions are established for affording some relief to retired officers, and are awarded to such retired officers as may be, in the opinion of the Admiralty, most deserving, under the conditions published in the Queen’s Regulations and Admiralty Instructions.

Pensions to Widows.

The widows and children of engineer officers who had completed ten years’ commissioned service are eligible, under stipulated conditions, to pensions and compassionate allowances.

The rates payable and the regulations governing their award are published in the Queen’s Regulations and the Quarterly Naval List.

Relative Rank.

Engineer students rank with naval cadets according to date of entry.

Assistant engineers rank with sub-lieutenants according to date of commission.

Engineers of less than six years’ seniority rank with but after lieutenants under eight years’ seniority.

Engineers of six years’ seniority rank with lieutenants of less than eight years’ seniority according to date of commission.