3364

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

No. 133

(i.) If the ship is a fishing-boat over 10 tons register exclusively employed in fishing on the coast of the Dominion, whether seagoing or running within river or extended river limits, then with a duly certificated master whose certificate shall be of a grade prescribed by the Minister.

An officer is not duly certificated 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 certificated, or if any person employs a person as an officer in contravention of this section without ascertaining that the person so serving is duly certificated, that person shall be liable for each offence to a fine not exceeding £50.

A certificate for a sailing-ship shall entitle the holder to serve in a steamship, or ship propelled by mechanical power other than steam, in the capacity mentioned in the certificate.

2. Certificates granted to Persons who pass Examinations.—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.

3. How to apply for Examination.—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. How to apply in Special Cases.—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 (Form Exn. 2, which can be obtained at any mercantile marine office), properly filled in, should be submitted to the Examiner of Masters and Mates or to the Superintendent of 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. Inquiries regarding Examinations.—All other inquiries regarding examinations should be made and dealt with in the same way. The point on which information is sought should be clearly stated, and certificates, discharges, testimonials, &c., should be forwarded when they are material to the inquiry.

6. Nature of Service determined by Actual Position on Board Ship.—Sea service in the foreign or home trade cannot be regarded as qualifying for examination for certificates of competency unless it can be verified by reference to the articles of the ship on which it was performed—e.g., service claimed by testimonial or otherwise to have been as mate when the actual rating as shown by the articles was only that of boatswain or other petty officer will not be accepted where officer’s service is required. Where service as first (or second) mate is required to qualify for examination the candidate must actually have held the executive position next (or next but one) to the master.

Candidates who represent themselves as having served in a higher capacity than that actually held in the ship render themselves liable to prosecution under section 32 of the Shipping and Seamen Act, 1908. (See para. 8.)

In this connection Examiners should remember that it has been a common practice for officers to be rated on ships’ articles as “second mate” although in reality they were only third or fourth mates, and acted in one of those positions on board ship.