H—ls

EXAMINATION OF MARINE ENGINEERS During the year 351 candidates were examined for Marine Engineer Certificates of Competency at the various centres throughout the Dominion. Of these, 119 were examined for First- and Second-class Certificates of Imperial validity, 124 were examined for Third-class Marine Certificates, and 16 were examined for Second-class Coastal Motor Certificates of New Zealand validity. Candidates sitting for First-class Imperial Validity Certificates total 36, of which 15 passed for Certificates, 7 passed Part " A," and 14 failed in the examination. Candidates sitting for Second-class Imperial Validity Certificates total 87, of which 22 passed for Certificates, 29 passed Part "A," and 36 failed in the examination.

X x The passes for First-class Imperial Validity Certificates issued by the Department were subdivided as follows : 1 Combined Steam and Motor, 8 Steam, and 6 Motor Endorsements. The passes for Second-class Imperial Validity Certificates issued by the Department were subdivided as follows : 11 Steam, 10 Motor, and 1 Motor Endorsement j totalling 37 Certificates issued, as shown in the following table :

Candidates for Third Marine Examination total 123, of these 87 passed and 36 failed. Sixty-five passed at the first attempt, 15 at the second attempt, 5 at the third attempt, and 2at the fourth attempt. Candidates for Second-class Coastal Motor Examination total 16, and all passed at the first attempt. The remaining 92 candidates were examined for River Engineer (Steam) and Restricted Limits P.V.O.S. (Oil) Certificates of Competency. Of these, 15 passed and 1 failed for River Engineer, and 70 passed and 6 failed for Retricted Limits P.V.O.S. Examination. During the year there has been a considerable increase in candidates for both Imperial Validity and for the Third-class Marine Examination amounting to 105 per cent, and 112 per cent, respectively. This increase and the number of candidates presenting themselves for examination for these certificates is the greatest ever recorded by the Marine Department. SURVEY OF SHIPS Survey Certificates were issued during the year ended 31st March, 1947, for 7 steam and 9 motor foreign-going, 28 steam and 75 motor home-trade ships, and 43 steam and 246 motor restricted-limits ships and launches. Equipment Certificates were issued for 12 foreign-going, 28 home-trade, and 3 restricted limits ships, all of which carry certificates of class issued by classification societies. Survey and Equipment Certificates issued for the year ended 31st March, 1947, total 451, as compared with a total of 434 for the year ended 31st March, 1946, and 389 for 1945. Surveys were also made in 297 cases for seaworthiness, efficiency of equipment, tonnage, radio-telegraphy, &c., as against 247 such cases surveyed during the year ended 31st March, 1946, and 221 during 1945. Forty-nine of these surveys made in 1946-47 were in respect of overseas ships not registered nor normally surveyed in the Dominion. Two wooden ships, " Avon " and " Melva," built by the New Zealand Government, have been chartered to Holm and Co., Ltd., and are engaged in the coastwise cargo trade. Each vessel has a cargo-carrying capacity of 250 tons. These vessels are sister ships of " Rosalie " and " Aranui," which were also built during the 1939-45 war and have since been employed in the New Zealand coastwise cargo trade.

12

Class. Steam and Motor. Steam. Steam Endorsement. Motor. Motor Endorsement. Total. First Second 1 8 11 | 1 10 6 1 15 22