REPORT ON THE MARINE DEPARTMENT.

9

E.—No. C.

NEW ZEALAND LIGHTHOUSES. A. — As to entering the Service. 1. Before any candidate for an appointment as a lightkeeper can be admitted to the service, he must forward an application for an appointment in his own handwriting, stating therein his name in full, age, last employment, name of last employer, and name of the gentlemen or gentleman by whom he is recommended for the situation. 2. Therewith he must forward a certificate of good conduct from his last employer (if he be in New Zealand), and a letter from each of the gentlemen by whom he is recommended, stating the length of time he has known him, and certifying that during that period the applicant has to his knowledge been sober, honest, industrious and obliging, and has enjoyed good health. 3. Should the candidate be considered eligible, he will be called on to undergo an examination by a regular medical practitioner, to be named and paid by the Government, who will be requested to report on the general health of the applicant, and on the state of his eyesight more especially. 4. Should the medical certificate be satisfactory, the candidate may be nominated to any vacant situation on probation, and in that case he shall be allowed his travelling expenses to the lighthouse from the nearest port, and shall during the period of his probation be paid at a rate to be intimated to him in writing by the Marine Engineer, and not exceeding £8 sterling per month. 5. After a six months' probation, should the principal keeper at the station to which the candidate has been sent report that the candidate has conducted himself properly, has been sober and obedient, and cleanly in his habits, and has proved himself apt at learning, and competent to take charge of a fight, and should the candidate at the same time forward a written undertaking to abide by and obey all the rules and regulations hereinafter set forth,* he shall receive a letter of appointment, and shall become a permanent servant of the Colonial Government (the appointment to date from the commencement of his probationary service) subject to the stipulations of " The Civil Service Act, 1866," or of any future addition to or alteration or amendment thereof, or of any subsequent Civil Service Act, so far as the same may be applicable to the lighthouse service, and subject to tho rules and regulations hereinafter set forth and provided. 6. Upon the expiration of the term of probation, should the principal keeper's report bo unfavourable, the appointment will lapse (unless the circumstances justify an extension of the period of probation), and the candidate shall only remain at the station until the decision of the Government be made known; after which, should the period of probation not be extended, the candidate shall be landed at the nearest port, and shall be paid at the stipulated rate up to the date of landing, but shall not be entitled to any further allowance for travelling or other expenses. B. — Instructions to Lightlceepers. 7. At each ordinary lighthouse there shall be two lightkeepers, the one denominated the " principal lightkeeper," the other the " assistant lightkeeper." AVhere there is but one, he shall be styled the " principal keeper;" where there are three, the first shall be termed the " principal," the others the " first " and- " second assistants " respectively. Lightkeepers shall receive a regular written appointment on the conditions set forth in section 5 ; but they are to understand that they are engaged from day to day at the pleasure of the Government, and on cause shown may be instantly dismissed. 8. The principal keeper is the responsible officer, and the assistant or assistants must, in all things connected with lighthouse service, implicitly obey his instructions. Similarly, the principal keeper must obey the instructions of his superior officers. 9. Assistant lightkeepers shall be regularly promoted, according to their seniority in the service, to the post of principal lightkeepers, as vacancies occur, unless it shall be reported that any obstacle arising from the misconduct of an assistant lightkeeper, or other circumstances affecting his efficiency, shall exist to such promotion, or unless the assistant shall choose to remain at the same station without promotion, rather than to accept promotion which will compel him to remove to another station. 10. Lightkeepers, on their appointment, must at once proceed to whatever lighthouse station the Marine Engineer may direct; or, in the event of the engineer directing any lightkeeper to remove from one station to another, the order must be at once complied with, on paiu, in either case, of dismissal from the service, unless bad health or any other sufficient plea be laid before the Marine Engineer as a reason for the removal not being carried into effect. 11. The lightkeepers shall keep a regular and constant watch in the lightroom throughout the night. The first watch shall begin one half hour before sunset. The lightkeepers are to take the watches alternately in such manner that he who has the first watch ono night shall have the second watch next night. The length or duration of each watch shall not in ordinary cases exceed four hours, and they shall be arranged so as to have a shift at midnight. AVhen there are three keepers the watches are to be specially arranged. The arrangement of the watches will vary with the seasons, and each change has to be duly notified and explained in the monthly report. AVhen only one keeper has charge of any station, he must do his utmost to maintain the light in a state of efficiency, as he may be directed from time to time; and he ought in any case to remain in the tower during tho night, and trim the light at intervals of at most four hours. 12. The lightkeeper on duty shall, on no pretence whatever, during his watch, leave the lightroom or balcony or the watchroom, where such are provided. At those lighthouses where whistles are provided to enable the keeper on duty to summon the absent keeper, he must not leave the light until relieved. AVhere such whistles are not provided, tho keeper on watch is only at liberty to leave the light to call his successor, but he must return to his charge with all despatch, and there remain until he is relieved. Should any accident rendering the presence or assistance of the lightkeeper not on duty advisable or necessary, or should the keeper be unable to keep up the watch owing to a sudden attack of illness, he must immediately summon the other keeper in the manner adopted at the station. * See tlie form of letter, section 60. 3