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II. The owner of a vessel who has employed a smaller number of boys than that required by the scale for a vessel of its tonnage will be granted an allowance as if the vessel had been of the maximum tonnage of vessels for which that number of boys is assigned in the scale, e.g., if a vessel of 1,050 tons carries two boys, the owner will receive an allowance calculated as if her tonnage was 999 tons; and when a boy's period of service commences or terminates otherwise than at the commencement or termination of a financial year, a proportionate allowance may, if the Board of Trade are satisfied as to the circumstances, be granted in respect of such period.
III. In order that the allowance may be obtained, each "Boy Sailor" must—
(1)be a British subject (not being a Lascar), able to speak and understand English;
(2)be enrolled in a Special Class of the Naval Reserve, to be called the "Probationer" Class, and undertake to join the "Seaman" Class Reserve under the Reserve Volunteer Force Act, 1859 (22 & 23 Vict. c. 40), as soon as qualified;
(3)be over 15 and under 18 years of age at time of first enrolment;
(4)be a deck hand;
N.B.—No allowance will be granted in respect of any paying apprentices or midshipmen carried with a view to being trained to become certificated officers, nor in respect of boys carried as Mess Room Stewards either in the Engineers' or Stewards' Department. This is not, however, to be understood as directed against the advancement of any boy sailor to any rank for which he may qualify himself.
IV. A boy will not be medically examined prior to enrolment unless he appears to the Superintendent of a Mercantile Marine Office to be undersized as regards both height and chest measurement, or to be weakly and apparently unfit for sea life.
Note. the cost of the examination will be paid out of voted monies.
V. Boys enrolled in this Special Class will not be liable to be "called out." They will not be called upon to attend drill until they have passed into the "Seaman" Class Reserve, and will not be paid retainers or receive uniform.
Note.—Probationers will be eligible for advancement to the "Seaman" Class when they reach the age of 18 years, provided they have followed a seafaring life for two years.