692
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 21

a moored mine, particularly if the vessel is in any doubt of
her position; and they strongly recommend that any vessel
likely to proceed to any such areas should retain its Otter
equipment. Arrangements are being made whereby any
fitting of, or repairs to, Otters and Otter gear will, in future,
be effected by Messrs. Vickers (Limited), on application being
made to them direct. Any work of this nature effected after
the date of this letter will be the shipowners’ liability. The
Government will accept no liability, after this date, for fitting
or upkeep, except for such work as is ordered to be carried
out by the Ministry of Shipping or other Government Depart-
ment in respect of vessels under requisition for the time being.
4. In the event of a shipowner desiring to retain the Otter
gear on board any of his vessels already fitted, the Admiralty
are prepared to transfer the installation (other than the actual
Otters themselves) to him free of all cost, on the condition
that he will undertake any subsequent reconditioning re-
quired at his own expense, and on the understanding as stated
above that the Government do not accept any liability for
its upkeep.
5. The Otters themselves cannot be transferred free of
charge; but the Admiralty are prepared to supply them on
loan to shipowners not desirous of acquiring them outright,
on the understanding that they will eventually be returned
into the custody of the Admiralty.
6. All clearances or changes in minefields will continue to
be promulgated by the Admiralty in the form of Mine Warn-
ings to Mariners as heretofore.
7. In cases where it is not desired to retain Otter gear on
board, arrangements will be made to remove the actual
Otters on receipt of notification from the owner. Arrange-
ments can also be made to carry out any reconditioning work
essential in connection with the removal of the equipment.
My Lords desire, however, to make it clear that, in conse-
quence of the great reductions which have been made in the
staff available for overseeing such reconditioning, a very
long time would be required to deal with the number of ves-
sels now fitted; and no guarantee could be given as to the
date by which any particular vessel could be dealt with.
8. They are therefore of opinion that shipowners may in
these circumstances prefer to make their own arrangements
for reconditioning their vessels on the basis of a lump-sum
agreement; and they are accordingly prepared to negotiate
to this end.
9. The calculation of the lump sum should not include
any charges for dry-docking, as in the event of no such agree-
ment being made, complete reconditioning will not be effected
until the ship is dry-docked for ordinary purposes.
10. All arisings consequent on such reconditioning, other
than the Otters themselves, would, under such an arrange-
ment, remain the property of the shipowners to remove and
dispose of as they might see fit. The value of these arisings
should be taken into consideration in calculating the lump-
sum settlement.
11. I am to express the hope that shipowners will forward
to the Admiralty, at as early a date as possible, their pro-
posals in respect of each of their vessels affected. Letters
should be addressed to the Director of the Trade Division,
Admiralty, Whitehall, S.W. 1.
12. I am to request that the shipping associations will
bring this letter to the notice of their affiliated members.
A supply of the letter is enclosed for that purpose. I am
further to request that the Secretary of Lloyd’s will give
prominence to the letter in Lloyd’s List.
I am, &c.,
J. W. S. ANDERSON.

CIRCULAR TO SHIPOWNERS AND MASTERS OF THE BRITISH
MERCANTILE MARINE.

THE order of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty
relative to the employment of special masthead lookouts,
promulgated in circular of the 1st August, 1919, is cancelled
as from the 30th November, on which date the Admiralty
allowance, calculated at the rate of 15s. a month payable
to the men so employed, will cease.
2. These special lookouts were instituted at the time of the
submarine menace; their original object was the detection
of periscopes, but their employment was continued after the
armistice as a precaution against drifting mines. This latter
danger is no longer regarded as a matter for special Admiralty
legislation, though some considerable time must elapse before
the menace disappears.
3. Shipowners and masters are recommended, therefore, to
continue the special employment of lookouts, since drifting
mines may be encountered not only in waters adjacent to
pre-existent minefields, but also in areas which have been
comparatively free from mines hitherto, notably the North
Atlantic.

ALAN HOTHAM, Captain, R.N.,
Director of Trade Division.

Naval Staff, Admiralty, 13th November, 1919.

Defining the Middle-line of a Portion of the Wairoa to Wai-
kokopu Branch of the East Coast Main Trunk Railway.

[L.S.] LIVERPOOL, Governor-General.
A PROCLAMATION.

WHEREAS the Wairoa to Waikokopu Branch of the
East Coast Main Trunk Railway (hereinafter termed
“the said railway”) is a railway the construction of which
is authorized by the Railways Authorization Act, 1919 :
And whereas it has been determined to construct and
maintain a portion of the said railway :
Now, therefore, I, Arthur William de Brito Savile, Earl of
Liverpool, the Governor-General of the Dominion of New
Zealand, in pursuance and exercise of the powers and au-
thorities conferred upon me by the Public Works Act, 1908,
and of every other power and authority in anywise enabling
me in this behalf, do hereby proclaim and declare that the
middle-line of the said portion of the said railway shall be
that defined and set forth in the Schedule hereto.

SCHEDULE.

COMMENCING at a point in Te Kopua Block, Block II, Clyde
Survey District, marked 2 miles, and proceeding thence
generally in an easterly direction for a distance of about
seven miles, and passing in, into, through, or over the
following lands, &c.—viz., Te Kopua Block, Kairangi No. 2
Block, Block II; Ohuia No. 1, Sub. 1, Block VII; Tuke-
mokihi No. 2, and Sections 4 and 3, Block III; Tukemokihi
No. 1, Block IV; Hereheretau Block, Subs. A, C, and B 2,
Block VIII; all in Clyde Survey District; and terminating
at a point in the said Hereheretau Block, Sub. B 2, marked
9 miles : including all adjoining and intervening places, lands,
reserves, roads, tracks, lakes, rivers, streams, and water-
courses. All in the Hawke’s Bay Land District. As the
same is delineated on the plan marked P.W.D. 48056, de-
posited in the office of the Minister of Public Works at Wel-
ington, in the Wellington Land District.

Given under the hand of His Excellency the Right
Honourable Arthur William de Brito Savile,
Earl of Liverpool, Member of His Majesty’s
Most Honourable Privy Council, Knight Grand
Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint
Michael and Saint George, Knight Grand Cross
of the Most Excellent Order of the British
Empire, Member of the Royal Victorian Order,
Knight of Justice of the Order of Saint John of
Jerusalem, Governor-General and Commander-
in-Chief in and over His Majesty’s Dominion
of New Zealand and its Dependencies; and
issued under the Seal of the said Dominion,
at the Government House at Wellington, this
twenty-fourth day of February, in the year of our
Lord one thousand nine hundred and twenty.

W. FRASER,
Minister of Public Works.

GOD SAVE THE KING !

Officiating Ministers for 1920.—Notice No. 6.

Registrar-General’s Office,
Wellington, 24th February, 1920.

PURSUANT to the provisions of the Marriage Act, 1908,
the following names of Officiating Ministers within
the meaning of the said Act are published for general infor-
mation :—

Church of the Province of New Zealand, commonly called
the Church of England.

The Reverend Percival Ernest James.

Church of Christ.

Mr. William David More.

Salvation Army.

Adjutant William Avenell.
Commandant Charles H. Creswell.
” Charles Davies.
Adjutant Edward L. Garner.
Staff Captain Alfred Greene.
” Joseph Hildreth.
Adjutant Harold Rimmer.
Commandant George B. Robertson.
Major Henry P. Sharp.
Adjutant Thomas Vost.
Major Charles Walls.

W. W. COOK,
Registrar-General.