14920-1910-Rules-relating-to-the-Examinations-of-Masters-and-Mates-in-the-Mercantile-Marine — Page 2

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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, FEBRUARY 12, 1910.

Certificates granted to

persous who pass exam- inations.

H. K. Rules

05, Sec. 2.

Date of

exam- inations.

Ibid. Sec. 3.

Applications

(b) If the Ship is of one hundred tons or upwards, with at least one officer besides the Master holding a certificate not lower than that of Only Mate, or, of Mate of a River Steamer, in the case of a River Steamer.

(c.) If the Ship carries more than one Mate, with at least the

First and Second Mates duly certificated.

Sub-section 1 of the same Ordinance provides that the Master of any British Ship, or of any Colonial Ship, or of any Foreign Ship holding a Passenger Certificate under section 10, leaving or attempting to leave any Port of the Colony without having on board and entered on the register and Articles of Agreement officers possessing the certificates required by this section, shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding Five Hundred Dollars.

Sub-section 5 provides that every person who, having been engaged in any of the above mentioned capacities in any such ship, goes to sea in that capacity without being at the time entitled to, and possessed of, such certificate as is required by this section, and every person who employs any person in any of the above named capacities in such ship without ascertaining that he is at the time entitled to, or possessed of, such certificate, shall, for each such offence, be liable to a penalty not exceeding Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars.

2. Certificates of Competency will be granted to those persons who pass the requisite examination, and otherwise comply with the requisite conditions. For this purpose examiners have been appointed.

3. The examinations will commence on such a day and at such an hour as may be appointed by the Harbour Master.

4. Candidates for examination must make their applications upon for examin- the appropriate form, which must be filled in at the Harbour Office. bid. Sec. 4. and the Candidates' testimonials and discharges must be lodged with

the Harbour Master,

ation.

Nature of service determined by actual

position on

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 1909, Sec. 6, 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.

board ship. B/T Reg.

Candidates who represent themselves as having served in higher capacity than that actually held in the ship render themselves 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 mato” 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 he 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. 82, 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 ex- amination purposes.

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