THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

12. CALCULATION OF SERVICE.

Service as shown on discharge certificates should be reckoned by
the calendar month—i.e., the period from a given day in any month
to the proceeding day of the following month, both inclusive.
The number of complete months of service should be thus computed,
and all odd days added together and reckoned at thirty to the month.
The day on which an agreement commenced and that on which it
terminated should both be included.

13. GAPS IN SERVICE.

Before an applicant is allowed up for examination, the Examiner
should be careful to ascertain that there are no gaps in his service
during which his conduct is not properly accounted for.

14. TESTIMONIALS AS TO WORKSHOP SERVICE.

All applicants will be required to produce testimonials, signed by
the employer, covering their workshop service. These must testify
to the applicants’ conduct and ability, and should indicate the nature
of the work performed by them (e.g., fitting, erecting, turning, machining,
drawing-office work, &c.), and the time spent on work in each
branch of the trade in which they were engaged. In addition to the
original, a copy of each testimonial should be submitted.

15. TESTIMONIALS AS TO SEA SERVICE.

Every applicant for a certificate of competency is required to produce
testimonials covering the qualifying period of his service, stating the
nature of the duties performed by him, his rank on watch, and the
number of engineers simultaneously on watch on the main propelling
machinery. Such testimonials should be signed by the chief engineers
under whom the applicant has served, and should testify to his ability,
conduct, and sobriety. It is desirable that the whole of the applicant's
sea service should be thus covered, but testimonials will be required
for at least the last eighteen months at sea preceding the date of his
application to be examined.
A copy of each testimonial should be furnished in addition to the
original.
It is also desirable that testimonials signed by the Chief Engineer
be endorsed by the Engineer Superintendent, but testimonials signed
only by the Superintendent or other officials will not, as a rule, be
regarded as sufficient.
An applicant who holds the position of Chief Engineer should
produce testimonials signed by the Engineer Superintendent, the
Managing Owner, or the Secretary of the Company.

16. SERVICE FOUND TO BE INSUFFICIENT AFTER EXAMINATION.

If, after a candidate has passed an examination for a certificate
of competency, it is discovered that his qualifying workshop or sea
service is not sufficient to warrant his receiving a certificate of the grade
for which he has passed it will not be granted to him. Should, however,
the Marine Department be satisfied that the error in the calculation
of his services did not occur through any fault or wilful misrepresentation
on his part, he may either have the examination fee returned to
him or placed to his credit.
The certificate will not be granted until the candidate has fully
complied with the requirements in respect of qualifying service and
has been re-examined in all of the subjects, unless the Marine Department
sees fit to dispense with the re-examination.

17. CERTIFICATES OF SERVICE.

An officer who has attained the rank of Engineer Lieutenant or
Engineer Sub-Lieutenant in His Majesty's Navy or the Royal Australian
Navy, or in the Royal Indian Marine, is entitled without examination
to a certificate of service as first-class engineer, if an engineer lieutenant,
and, if an engineer sub-lieutenant, to a certificate of service as second-
class engineer.
These officers may be examined for certificates of competency on
the same conditions as engineers in the mercantile marine.
An officer who has attained the rank of chief artificer engineer or
commissioned engineer in the Royal Navy is also entitled without
examination to a certificate of service as second-class engineer.