RE MATES' CERTIFICATES TO THE EDITOR.

Evening Post, Volume LVII, Issue 31, 7 February 1899, Page 2

RE MATES' CERTIFICATES TO THE EDITOR.

Sir — Will you kindly allow me, through the medium of your correspondence column, to draw attention to the harm the late marine scandal will do to holders of Wellington cert ; ficatesV Before g6ing any further, I may state I am the holder of a second mate's (foreign) certificate, granted by the New Zealand Marine' Department, as the successful result of an examination held a short time ago. What I wish to say, Srr, is, in my own, and a great many other people's, estimation, a Wellington certificate is not worth the parchment it is written on. Mr. HutohoNon has said, I quote part of his interview with an Evening Post reporter : " All certificates granted here for some timo past should undergo a strict investigation." Well, Sir, that includes every curlifictitc holder who has passed the. Board lately, and more especially those who have passed the first examination. It w well known that the Union Company do not give their men who have passed from before tho mast ( a berth us an offiuoi 1 until thoy'can show discharges ior ulltuurif servico in other firms. This vulc mukuN it necessary for men to go ovev to I ho other side to try and get the requisite Hurvico, us there is more shipping, but nflor tho recent disclosures, and the stigma which has been placed on Wellington onrtilicatos, this is presumably tho ex jiorlonco an applicant will have in Australia. After a marine superintendent him examined the discharges and refer onooH, ole, of an applicant, ho will look at Lhu certificate, then say—" Oh, a Wellington certificate, that is the place wheic tho examinations are being questioned ; wo have decided not to employ men who hold thqse certificates.'^ Now, Sir, 1 had no connection with tho school whence -this trouble arose. I and several other young men attended another school here for navigation and ■ nautical astronomy. I have paid the fees and received a reoeipt, and know, from previous ex-

perience that I passed a legitimate examination, and urn competent to fulfil the duties of the grade for which I passed. For myself, and several others in the same predicament, I am asking' you to print this, so as to gain information as to how our difficulty is to be removed. Can wo claim our examination papers, so as to prove with them we are competent? or what can we do? If these certificates are not recognised as valid, ' who is to reimburse those holding them for time and employment lost, money expended, etc.? The position may necessitate thu procuring of a certificate from a port where there will be no danger of the document being questioned, which would bo a great hardship.- — I am, etc., Certificate (859). Wellington, 6th February, 1899.