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REPLIES OF THE GOVERNMENTS
38
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The French Government readily supports the formula proposed in the Questionnaire, and, generally speaking, does not see what other guarantees could be required from a seaman than those indicated in Question 4, viz., a minimum age, a certain standard of professional experience, and the passing of a test organised and supervised by the public authorities. But, and it is here that the French Government perhaps differs from the spirit in which the Questionnaire has been drafted, it considers that it is not sufficient to lay down these three conditions in a general way in a Draft Convention, but that it is desirable that the draft should specify the minimum age as well as some of the conditions of professional experience. The minimum age required for granting certificates varies greatly from country to country, and usually also varies in one and the same body of regulations according to the certificate applied for it varies between eighteen and twenty five years. Similarly, the professional experience of candidates for the posts of master or navigating officer has to be guaranteed by several years of actual service at sea, the number of which is different in individual countries.
:
It does not appear impossible that, in order to determine the minimum of professional capacity to be dealt with in the Convention, i.e. in an international rule, a minimum age should be fixed or a period of service at sea which would thus be the same for all maritime nations.
By way of a proposal, the French Government considers that the following guarantees should be required :
Minimum age: 24 years for masters, skippers and chief
engineers;
21 years for persons in charge of a watch, on deck or in the engine room.
Professional experience: Four years sea service, including two years in charge of a watch, for masters, skippers and chief engineers:
Two years for persons in charge of a watch, on deck or in the engine-room.
The figure proposed, based on French regulations, is not, in the intention of the Government, an absolute figure, and it is possible that, in view of the differences to be found in national legislations, the Draft Convention should give a lower figure. This will be a matter for discussion at the next maritime session. But the point which the French Government emphasi- ses, and which it wishes to secure by its proposal, is the inclusion in the Draft Convention of a minimum age fixed in relation to the importance which such age can have in the matter.
The
QUESTION 4
command of a ship and the charge of a watch should not be given to youths whose experience is not yet adequately assured, and if the age fixed by French regulations appears too high in relation to national customs in some countries, the minimum in certain other regulations is too low and should be raised. Naturally, there can be no question of discussing this point in a reply to the Questionnaire of the International Labour Office, and this will be the business of the next maritime session.
The Questionnaire refers to an examination, and in this connection the question of the subjects of examination arises. In view of the considerations set out above, the French Govern- ment considers that there should be a minimum programme and that the Draft Convention should indicate what this minimum is to be, if only in a few brief lines. Every master or skipper and every officer in charge of a watch should possess some practical knowledge of navigation which may be summed up as know- ledge of the international rules as to lights and steering and the application of these rules, as well as of the rules for the practical application of the Brussels Convention on assistance at sea and the Washington wireless telegraphy Convention. The request of the French Government on this point cannot be rejected a priori, since it refers to knowledge of regulations which have already received international approval.
As regards engineer officers, they should at least be familiar with the operations of starting, stopping and reversing the whole of the ship's engines, as well as with the precautions to be taken in these circumstances.
4.
GERMANY
The reply is in the affirmative.
GREAT BRITAIN
See reply under Question 1, ante, p. 15.
4.
INDIA
The reply is in the affirmative. (See also last paragraph
of the reply to Question 6).
IRISH FREE STATE
4. (a)-(e) The replies are in the affirmative.
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