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A.—2

No. 67. New Zealand, No. 173. My Lord, — Downing Street, 15th September, 1909. I have the honour to transmit to you, to be laid before your Ministers, the accompanying copies of a new rule for life-saving appliances on ships, made by the Board of Trade under the provisions of section 427 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894. I have, &c, CREWE. Governor, the Right Hon. Lord IMunket, K.C.M.G., X.C.V.0., &c.

A.-l, 1910. No. 44.

Enclosure. [For official use.] Statutory Rulee and Orders, 1909, No. 7*7. Merchant Shipping.— Life-saving Appliances. Rvle dated May 21,. 1909, madi by the. Board of Trade, under the Merchant Shipping Art, (51 dud 58 Viet., c. v>o), (ix to Life-saving Appliances. Undeh the provisions of .section 427 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, the Hoard of Trade hereby make the following rule tor life-saving appliances. This rule shall he construed as one with the rules relating to life-saving appliances dated the 10th February, 1902, and shall come iritoefieet on the Ist day of August, 1909. Dated this 24th day of May, 1909. H. Llewellyn Smith, Secretary to the Board of Trade. Waltbb J. Howei.i,, Assistant Secretary, Marine Department. Motor Life-bodts. .Notwithstanding anything contained in the rules relating to life-saving appliances dated the 10th February, 1902, it shall be permissible, in the case of such foreign-going passengersteamers or emigrant-ships as are required under Division A, Class 1, or Division A, Class 2, of those rules to carry more than four boats placed under davits, to substitute a motor life-boat approved by the Board of Trade for one of the boats under davits. Proper appliances shall be provided for putting any such motor life-boat into the water. The life-boat shall also be adequately provided with fuel, and kept so as to be at all times fit and ready for use.

No. 68. New Zealand, No. 176. My Lord, — Downing Street, 17th September, 1909. I have the honour to request you to draw your Ministers' attention to the letter from the Board of Trade to the Marine Department of New Zealand, relative to the issue of certificates of competency under the provisions of section 26 of the New Zealand Shipping and Seamen Act, 1908, copy of which is enclosed. I hope that your Ministers will see their way to comply with the suggestions contained in the Board's letter. I have, &c, CREWE. Governor, the Right Hon. Lord Plunket, K.C.M.G., X.C.V.0., &c.

A.-l, 1910, No. 43.

Enclosure. M. 18331. Marine Department, 7 Whitehall Gardens. London. S.W., Sir,— Ist September, 1909. T am directed by the Board of Trade to inform you that the Registrar-General of Shipping and Seamen has forwarded to this Department your letter of the Bth ultimo (M. 1258/1908) stating that a certificate of competency, No. 1097, has been issued to Mr. Bernard St. Vincent Ford under the provisions of section 26 (1) of the New Zealand Shipping and Seamen Act, 1908. The Board recognises that, in view of the terms of that section, your Department have no alternative but to issue such a certificate if required to do so. As, however, certificates of com-