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potency are never granted by the Board of Trade except after examination, they cannot but regret that it should be possible for any candidate for a certificate to obtain without examination a certiticate, which by the Order in Council of the 9th August, 1572, is of the saint , force as a certificate of equal grade issued by the Board. I am therefore to inquire whether your Department would be prepared to co-operate with the Board of Trade in this matter, and take such opportunity as may arise of amending section 2ti of the above Act referred to in such sense as to insure that only certificates of service may be granted without examination. lam to add that this is provided for by section 99 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, in the following terms :— (1.) A person who has attained t lie rank of lieutenant, sub-lieutenant, navigating lieutenant, or navigating sub-lieutenant in Her Majesty's Navy, or of lieutenant in Her Majesty's Indian Marine Service, shall be entitled to a certificate of service as master of a foreign-going ship without examination. (2.) A person who has attained the rank of engineer or assistant engineer in Her Majesty's Navy or Indian Marine Service shall be entitled without examination, if an engineer, to a certificate of service as first-class engineer, and, if an assistant engineer, to a certificate of service as second-class engineer. (3.) A certificate of service shall differ in form From a certificate of competency, and shall contain the name and rank of the person to whom it is delivered, and the Board of Trade shall deliver a certificate of service to any person who proves himself to be entitled thereto. (4.) The provisions of this Act (including the penal provisions) shall apply in the rase of a certificate of service as they apply in the case of a certificate of competency, except that the provisions allowing a holder of a certificate of competency as master of a foreign-going ship to go to sea as master or mate of a home-trade passenger-ship shall not apply. I have, &c, R. C. Heron Maxwell. The Secretary, Marine Department, Wellington, New Zealand.

No. 69. New Zealand, No. 177. My Lord, — Downing Street, 17th September, 1909. I have the honour to transmit to your Lordship, for the information of your Ministers, the enclosed copies of two Orders of His Majesty in Council, dated the 10th August, exempting German and Norwegian ships, under certain conditions, from the British regulations as to life-saving appliances under thfe provisions of section 4 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1906. I have, &c, CREWE. Governor, the Right Hon. Lord Plunket, K.C.M.G., K.C.Y.0., &c.

A.-l, 1910. No. 45.

No. 70. Dominions. —Circular. Sir,— Downing Street, 20th September, 1909. With reference to Lord Elgin's library despatch of the 3rd April, 1908, I have the honour to transmit, for the information of your Ministers, copies of a paper which has been presented to Parliament containing a memorandum by the Director-General, Army Medical Service, on the transmission of enteric fever by the " chronic carrier." I have, &c, CREWE. The Officer administering the Government of New Zealand.

No. 71. New Zealand, No. 179. My Lord, — Downing Street, 24th September, 1 909. With reference to my despatch No. 1.5, of the 22nd January, I have the honour to transmit to you, for the consideration of your Ministers, the enclosed copy of a note addressed to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs by the

A.-l, 1910 No. 62.