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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, FEBRUARY 12, 1910.
Form Vision.
24. The Board of Trade have decided that on and after January Ibid. Sec. 28. 1st, 1914, the standard of form vision in the sight tests shall be raised to that specified in Appendix O on page 122, BT Regulations, subject to the condition that Candidates who before the above date shall have obtained any Certificate of Competency as Master or Mate (foreign-going or home trade), shall have the option of undergoing the present tests and shall not, in order to obtain Certificates of biglier grades, be required to pass the more severe test.
Semaphore
and Morse
Signalling.
From November 1st, 1909, it will be possible for any person serving or intending to serve in the Mercantile Marine to be examined with reference to the higher standard and if he passes, he may receive a Certificate to that effect, or if he holds a Certificate of Competency, the fact of his having passed the higher standard may be endorsed upon it.
The examiners should in all cases point out to boys and others coming up for the Sight Tests that unless they are in possession of a Certificate of Competency by the 1st January, 1914, they will after that date be required to pass the new standard of Form Vision as laid down in Appendix 0, whether they are coming up for a Certificate of Competency or for examination in the Sight Tests only.
Signalling.
25. It shall be open to any officer holding or candidate for a Certificate of Competency as Master or Mate to undergo an examination Ibid. Sec. 86. in practical proficiency in the Semaphore and Morse systems of signalling. And should the candidate pass this examination, the fact, with the date and place of passing shall be recorded on his Certificate of Competency.
BT Circalar 497. May 1894.
The standard of efficiency in signalling required from Candidates for the voluntary examination in signalling after 1st July, 1908, will be as follows :-
by
Candidates must be capable of sending and reading signals made
(1.) Semaphore at a rate of 10 words per minute.
(2.) Morse, flashing and flag-waving, at a rate of 6 words per minute (the average length of a word to be calculated at 5 letters).
The Semaphore test will be a prose message of about 30 words. The Morse, flashing and flag-waving, test will be a test message (see the British Signal Manual), followed by a prose message of about
30 words.
The Candidate must attain a degree of accuracy of at least 90 per cent. in reading both Semaphore and Morse signals.
Each Candidate will be orally examined as to his knowledge of the International Signal Book and the British Signal Manual. With regard to the latter special attention will be paid to the prescribed procedure of signalling, both by day and night, between H.M. ships and the Mercantile Marine.
A Signalling Certificate issued by a recognised Naval Signalling School will be accepted in lieu of this examination.
Service in Foreign Vessels.
26. With reference to the latter portion of paragraph 79 which exempts applicants, in certain special cases, from the requirement that Officers' Service must be performed with the requisite Certificate, it is to be clearly understood that this exemption does not apply to Foreign Officers serving in foreign vessels.
Foreign Officers who may be desirous of obtaining British Cer- tificates of Competency in the Mercantile Marine will be required to comply strictly, whatever may be their rank in the Mercantile Marine of their own country, with the requirements of the first part of paragraph 80, viz., they must have performed their Officer's Service with the requisite Brilish Certificate.
This service, however, may have been performed in foreign vessels, provided that the applicant can produce satisfactory testimonials as to conduct and character, and is able to prove that the service has been in the required capacities, and that during such service he has held a British Certificate of Competency of the rank required by the Regulations.
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