Sept. 30.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 2985

or it may be made up of a portion of each—that is, partly in foreign-going ships and partly in the home trade—provided both portions together, after assessing the relative value of the inferior service, constitute not less than the period required to have been served in foreign-going ships.

4. Similarly, in cases in which service in alternate grades or capacities is prescribed, such service may be made up of portions of each or any of them, provided the required minimum service has been performed.

104. Sea Service for Foreign-going Certificates.—For foreign-going certificates the term “sea service” means, unless otherwise stated, service performed in foreign-going vessels.

105. Home Trade, Definition of.—For the purpose of these regulations, where qualifying service for a home-trade certificate is prescribed, service in the home trade means service performed on a home-trade ship employed trading on the coasts of New Zealand; and where qualifying service for a foreign-going certificate is prescribed it includes also service performed in any home trade beyond New Zealand; but service in the home trade does not in any case include service performed on a ship employed trading within either river limits or extended and partially-smooth-water limits.

106. Home-trade Service.—For home-trade certificates service in the home trade is regarded as equivalent to service in the foreign trade; but for foreign-going certificates service in the home trade is regarded as equivalent to two-thirds of the time served in the foreign trade.

The amount of service as master, first mate, or only mate in the home-trade which will qualify a candidate for examination for a certificate as master or first mate (foreign-going) is shown in paras. 49 and 50.

In addition the Marine Department will be prepared to consider on its merits any application by a candidate for a first mate’s foreign-going certificate for the acceptance of time served as second mate of a home-trade ship which is required by law to carry a certificated second mate. The acceptance of such service will be subject to the following general considerations :—

a. The service must have been performed while in the possession of a certificate as second mate (foreign-going).

b. An adequate proportion of the time must have been spent in actual service at sea.

c. The service must have involved real responsibility, and an adequate proportion of it must have been spent in sole charge of a watch at sea.

The proportion of the time which will be accepted will depend upon the particular circumstances of each case, but in no case will time spent in the home trade be accepted as equivalent to more than two-thirds of the same period of time spent in the foreign trade. Every case in which a candidate claims such services as qualifying must be referred to the Principal Examiner.

Service as second mate in the home trade will not be accepted as qualifying for examination for a master’s certificate (foreign-going). Service in a lower grade than second mate in the home trade will not be recognized as officer’s service towards qualifying a candidate for examination for a foreign-going certificate unless the candidate can produce a testimonial certifying that the service was merely a preliminary to or the finish of a foreign-going voyage in the same ship, and that he served on the foreign voyage in a capacity not lower than the capacity in which he served on the home-trade articles.

107. Restricted-limits Ships, Service in.—For restricted-limits certificates service in the foreign trade or in the home trade is equivalent to service in river limits or extended river limits; but time served in ships employed trading within river limits and extended river limits does not count as service at sea for the purpose of obtaining a certificate for a seagoing ship, with the exception that service in extended river limits will, proportionally or wholly, as is prescribed in these regulations, count as qualifying service for home-trade and other New Zealand local certificates.

108. Ships Trading Abroad, Service in.—Service in ships trading entirely abroad will be accepted as equivalent to service in foreign-going ships, provided that the distance between the extreme ports visited during the course of the voyage is at least 500 miles. If the distance is less than 500 miles the service will only be accepted as equivalent to service in the home trade.

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