Ridiculed for £350

Southland Times, Issue 12772, 4 December 1893, Page 4

Ridiculed for £350

The Nautical Magazine says : —When the efforts of well-wishers at home are being directed, with some effect, towards the higher education of our merehant seamen, it is rather disheartening to learn that the colonies are initiating a retrograde policy. Here, at home, we have nautical schools starting. Board schools being pressed to give navigation a place in their curriculum, officers being persuaded to take advantage of naval colleges, and so on : whilst New Zealand is, apparently, doing her best to “ put on the skid.” A Dunedin correspondent sends us the following Government announcement, with certain terse remarks attached thereto :— “ Wellington, March 22nd. The Minister of Marine has made fresh arrangements for conducting examinations for masters’ and mates’ certificates. The Collectors of Customs will in future conduct written examinations at all ports. For the viva voce examinations Captain Robinson (harbourmaster at Onehunga) will act at the port of Auckland, the present officers at Wellington, Major-General Sir Arthur Douglas at Lyttelton, and the Collector of Customs at Dunedin. A saving of L 350 per annum will be effected by this arrangement.” As far as “ written ” papers are concerned the scheme might work, so long as the Collector of Customs was provided with the answers.' But, even then, would it not have been as well to employ, say, a carver and gilder as examiner ’ His spare time, whilst waiting for the candidates to bring up their papers, might have been utilised in making neat little frames for the extremely valuable certificates, when granted. At the very important port of Dunedin, however, matters seem worse. Here, it appears, the Collector of Customs is the viva voce examiner as well ! Picture the scene, ye sea-dogs of the old school, who laugh to scorn the ’* ginger-beer man ” who goes in for being a naval volunteer. What a splendid chance there would bo foranautical wagnot troubled withnerves I Collector (loquitur) : “Describe the operation of making a bowlynot.” Candidate: “A ?” Collector (referringto “guide for examiners ” : “ Oh, I—er—a bow-lwie-knot.” Candidate : “ When it is necessary to perform this important evolution all hands should be called in good time. A sheepshank should first be taken in the mizzenmast, then ” Collector: “A—stop a minute ” (consults his book). And so on. In days gone by, when a man failed in London he used to post off for a certain northern port where it was notorious certificates could be got with ease; but we had fancied that all this w-as a thing of the past. That it is not so, this New Zealand business clearly shows, and there seems to be still a refuge left for the “ plucked ” one. That it is not so in all the colonies the writer can testify, having gone in for a master’s certificate at Halifax, Nova Scotia, and, though this was some eighteen yearsago, he can state that the examinations then, in that port, were quite up to the Loneon standard, for he passed in London afterwards, and that the

examiner was a smart, thorough-going sea man. Of course, this action on the part o the New Zealand Minister of Marine hai called forth much adverse criticism, on< gentleman suggesting that a little know ledge of navigation and nautical astronomy might perhaps be of assistance to the Dun edin collector during the “ paper ” work, and though he certainly would be “ at sea’ whilst examining for seamanship, it woulc scarcely be in professional capacity. It may be said this stupidity on the pari of colonial Ministers cannot possibly affect us. But it can, and will. If a colonial certificate can Hear a British ship, so much the worse for the British (English) shipmaster, if it. is more easily obtained than, say, a London one. Presently we will be having German and Scandinavian “tickets” admitted if we do not look out. It is undoubtedly a matter worth the while of the Ship-masters’ Societies to take up; and whilstacolonial certificate is authoritatively of the same value as u home one, it ought to be impressed upon the powers that be, that it is absolutely necessary to keep np the standard. We are, if anything, a maritime nation ; and yet the reckless amount of carelessness on the part of our authorities in these and kindred matters is inexplicable. If the College of Surgeons were to depute a theologian to examine the candidates for their diplomas they would never hear the end of it. Yet, surely, here is a parallel case, which we commend to the notice of seamen in general and the Shipmasters’ Societies in particular. We wonder how underwriters like the idea of their risks being entrusted to an officer who has been “passed” by a Collector ot Custom, s ?