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No. 54. New Zealand, No. 659. My Lord,--- Downing Street, 24th August, 1916. 7, With reference to my despatch, No. 67, of the Ist February, I have the honour to transmit to Your Excellency, for the information of your Ministers, copies of a circular issued by the Board of Trade amending the regulations relating to the examination of candidates for certificates of competency as master in the mercantile marine. I have, &c, A. BONAR LAW. Governor His Excellency the Right Hon. the Earl of Liverpool, G.C.M.G, M.V.O, &c.

A.-l, 1917 No. 52.

Enclosure. (Circular 1577.) Examination of Masters and Mates. Instructions to Examiners and Notice to Candidates. The Board of Trade have decided that during the war no man may be examined for a certificate of competency as master, extra master, or master (home trade) unless (a) he is a British subject, and (h) at the time of his birth each of his parents was a British subject by birth or by naturalization. In order to prove that he complies with these conditions every candidate for any of the certificates named must produce to the Examiner of Masters and Mates his own birth-certificate and the birth-certificate or certificate of naturalization of each of his parents. These documents should be lodged with the Examiner at least a week before the day on which the candidate wishes to present himself for examination. If in any case there is any doubt whether a candidate complies with the conditions set out in this circular, the matter should be referred by the local Examiner to the Marine Department, Board of Trade. Paragraphs 3, 38, 54, 61, and 64 of the Regulations relating to the Examination of Masters and Mates should be amended accordingly. C. Hipwoon, Board of Trade, Marine Department, July, 1916. Assistant Secretary.

No. 55. New Zealand, No. 680. My Lord, — Downing Street, 31st August, 1.916. I have the honour to request Your Excellency to inform your Ministers that the Governor of the Leeward Islands has reported that it is intended to impose the following war-taxes on correspondence addressed from certain of the P residencies of the colony to the L'nited Kingdom and other parts of the Empire : — (a.) on all letters from Antigua, St. Kitts, Nevis, and Dominica : (b.) Id. on all letters and 3d. on all parcels from the Virgin Islands. These taxes will come into force on the Ist September. 2. I have approved these proposals subject to the consent of the other Administrations interested, and I trust that your Ministers will not raise any objection to the imposition of these taxes in respect of letters (and in the case of'the Virgin Islands parcels also) sent from the Presidencies in. question to New Zealand, and will give instructions for surcharging insufficiently prepaid letters and parcels. Post-cards should not be surcharged. I have, &c, A. BONAR LAW. Governor His Excellency the Right Hon. the Earl of Liverpool, ; G.C.M.G, M.V.O, &c.

A.-l, 1917, No. 54. -| i