1448
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 43

Rules for Examination of Masters and Mates.

Marine Department,
Wellington, 30th May, 1906.

IN pursuance and exercise of the powers vested in me by section 23 of “The Shipping and Seamen Act, 1903,” I do hereby make the following rules for the conduct of examinations of masters and mates, and as to the qualifications of applicants; and I do direct that the fees specified therein shall be paid to the Superintendents of Mercantile Marine or Collectors of Customs at the ports where the applications to be examined are made. These rules (except clauses 54, 55, and 56) shall come into force on the first day of September next, and shall then supersede any rules or regulations heretofore existing and affecting such examinations, qualifications, and fees. Clauses 54, 55, and 56 shall come into force on the date hereof.

WM. HALL-JONES,
Minister of Marine.

PRELIMINARY AND GENERAL.

1. IN accordance with the provisions of section 21 of “The Shipping and Seamen Act, 1903,” every British ship when going to sea or plying from any place in New Zealand, and every foreign ship when plying as a home-trade ship,* shall be provided with deck officers duly certified under this Act according to the following scale :—

(a.) In any case with a duly certified master.

(b.) If the ship is a home-trade sailing-ship of 100 tons register or upwards, or a home-trade steamship of 60 tons register or upwards, then with at least one officer besides the master, such officer holding a certificate not lower than that of mate: Provided that any such ship of 100 tons register or upwards running more than 300 miles between terminal ports shall carry a second mate holding a certificate not lower than that of master of a fishing-boat or cargo-vessel under 25 tons register.

(c.) If the ship is a foreign-going ship, then with at least a first and second mate duly certified.

(d.) If the ship is a steamship authorised to ply within river limits or extended river limits only, then with a master holding a certificate as master of a river-steamer.

(e.) If the ship is a home-trade cargo-ship only of over 5 tons or up to 25 tons (inclusive) net register, then with a duly certified master whose certificate shall not be of a lower grade than that prescribed for that class of ship by the next succeeding section.

(f.) If the ship is a home-trade ship over 25 and up to 100 tons net register and not included in the foregoing provisions, then with a duly certified master whose certificate shall not be of a lower grade than that of a master of a home-trade ship.

(g.) If the ship is a sailing-ship of over 5 tons and up to 25 tons register, carrying passengers within such restricted limits as may be approved by the Minister, then with a duly certified master whose certificate shall be of a grade prescribed by the Minister.

(h.) If the ship is a fishing-boat exclusively employed in fishing on the coast of the colony, whether sea-going or running within river or extended river limits, then with a duly certified master whose certificate shall be of a grade prescribed by the Minister.

An officer is not duly certified unless he is the holder for the time being of a valid certificate of competency (or service) under the Shipping and Seamen Act of a grade appropriate to his station in the ship or of a higher grade.

If any person, having been engaged as one of the above-mentioned officers, goes to sea as such officer without being duly certified, or employs a person as an officer in contravention of this section without ascertaining that the person so serving is duly certified, that person shall be liable for each offence to a fine not exceeding £50.

2. Certificates of competency will be granted to those persons being British subjects who pass the requisite examination and otherwise comply with the requisite conditions. For this purpose Examiners have been appointed, and arrangements have been made for holding examinations. The time and places at which these examinations are held are shown in Appendix B.

3. Candidates for examination must fill up a form of application (Form Exn. 2) at a Mercantile Marine Office. The form, properly filled in, together with the candidate’s testimonials and discharges, must be lodged with the local Examiner not later than the day before the day of examination, and the candidate must conform to any regulations in this respect which may be laid down by the Marine Department. As discharges and testimonials may require verification, it is desirable that they should be handed in, together with the form of application, as many days as possible before the date of the examination which the candidate desires to attend. In the absence of the necessary verification the candidate cannot be examined.

The Examiner should be particularly careful to ascertain that there are no gaps in the candidate’s service which are not properly accounted for before he is allowed up for examination.

4. In cases where the services of a candidate require verification, or where he is in doubt whether his service complies with the regulations and wishes to submit his case for special consideration, all certificates, discharges, and testimonials, together with the form of application,* properly filled in, should be submitted to the Examiner of Masters and Mates or to the Superintendent of the Mercantile Marine. If necessary, the officer will, after seeing that all the required information is clearly set forth in the papers, forward them, with his observations, to the Marine Department, who will deal with the case.

5. All other inquiries regarding examinations should be made and dealt with in the same way.

• By a “home-trade ship” is meant one which is employed in trading or going between any ports or places in New Zealand, but not to or from the Cook Islands, Kermadec Islands, the Chatham Islands, the Auckland Islands, Campbell Island, Antipodes Island, or Bounty Island. By a “foreign-going ship” is meant every ship not included in the term “home-trade ship.”

• Form Exn. 2, which can be obtained at any Mercantile Marine Office,