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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, NOVEMBER 21, 1913.
Applications for examina- tion.
Nature of service determined by actual
position on board ship.
Age.
Fraud and misrepre- sentation.
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4. Candidates for examination must make their applications upon the appropriate form, which must be filled in at the Harbour Office, and the Candidates' testimonials and discharges must be lodged with the Harbour Master.
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.
5. Sea service 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 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 them- selves liable to prosecution under section 104 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894. (See paragraph 7.)
In this connection examiners should remember that it is 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.
In every case where a candidate for a master's certificate of competency claims service as second mate, he should be requested to make a declaration in Divn. H of the Form Exn. 2, to the effect that during his service as second mate he had only one officer over him, or if more than one, that a third and fourth mate were also carried.
If the service claimed is as auxiliary second mate
the candidate should be required to state the number of officers serving in a junior capacity.
A candidate with first mate's service should make a declaration that he was the senior officer under the master, or, if not, he must comply with the requirements of para. 97, as it has been found that in some cases the second mate has been signed on the articles as first mate, the proper first mate being called chief officer simply for examination purposes.
It must be clearly understood that the amount of service laid down in the Regulations for each grade of certificate of competency is the absolute minimum that can be accepted, and unless a candidate can show the full amount he must in no case be allowed up for examination.
6. Should any doubt exist as to the age of a Candidate, he will be required to produce a certificate of birth.
7. It is provided by section 104 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, that any person who makes, assists in making, or procures to be made, any false representation for the purpose of procuring for himself or any other person a Certificate of Competency, shall, in respect of such offence, be guilty of a misdemeanour, the punish- ment for which is imprisonment for any period not exceeding six months, with or without hard labour, or a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds.
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