Section 2
SEC. 2. The board shall meet at the office of the Captain of the Port at Manila during the last week of the months of April, August, and December of each year and examine all applicants for any such positions who have filed in writing their applications for examination at least one month before the meeting of the board. Every applicant, shall be examined physically by a competent physician selected by the board, and unless found to be physically sound shall not be further examined and shall not be licensed. The board may in its discretion require the production of ships journals and log books for inspection in the examination of applicants for positions, of master or mate. Every applicant for the position of third mate shall be required to present to the board documents properly certified showing that he has served as seaman, apprentice or quartermaster continuously for at least nine months in a sea-going sailing vessel or at least eighteen months in a sea-going steamer: Provided, That, if the applicant produces a certificate of graduation from the Nautical School of Manila it shall be sufficient evidence of his technical knowledge, but not of his physical condition, experience, habits, or character. The applicant must not be less than twenty-one years of age. Every applicant for license as second male must produce to the board a certificate as third mate and properly certified documents showing that he has served in the capacity of third mate in a seagoing sailing vessel for at least one year or in a sea-going steamer for at least two years and must not be less than twenty-three years of age. Every applicant for license as first male shall he required to produce to the board properly certified documents showing that he has served in the capacity of second and third mate for at least two years in a sea-going sailing vessel or at least three years in a seagoing steamer and must not be less than twenty-three years of age. Every applicant for license as patron shall not be less than twenty-three years of age. He shall be examined on the following subjects: Reading and writing; management of the sails, and rigging of coasting and pilot boats; manner of loading according to cargo; manner of careening a boat so as to rid if of water, as well as, manner of stranding same; knowledge of the coasts where he is to navigate, their shoals, banks, and reefs; of ocean currents and tides; of prevailing winds; which winds to sail with and which to sail away from; how to square the compass; to take bearings by the lead and other practical methods for determining the nearness of the coast and what course to he taken; methods of entering and leaving the ports of the provinces; precautions to he taken in lime of storms at sea as well as in port; method of repairing damage sustained by vessels; familiarity with all existing coast light-houses on their routes; knowledge of all maritime laws relating to the sanitation and police regulations of ports; of his knowledge of regulations governing the use of lights and signals for the prevention of collisions, and, in short, of all subjects that may have a bearing on his calling. Every applicant for license as master must produce satisfactory evidence that he has served as certified first mate for at least three years in n sea-going sailing vessel or at least five years in a seagoing steamer and must not be less than twenty-eight years of age. The holders of licenses as master or mate under the laws of the United States shall be eligible to appointment to like positions under this Act. The examination of every applicant shall be in writing and shall include a thorough, examination as to his knowledge of seamanship and navigation in its various branches, his capacity and skill in lading and unlading cargo, in handling and storing freight under all conditions and his knowledge generally of the duties of the position which he seeks. To obtain a license every applicant shall be required to show a proficiency in the subjects upon which he is examined and shall answer correctly at least seventy-five per cent of the questions propounded to him on such examination. Examinations of all applicants as well as all records of the board shall be kept in the office of the Captain of the Port at Manila. Every license authorized to be issued as above set forth shall be operative and in force for one year from its issuance, but the board may at any time suspend or revoke any license upon satisfactory proof of misconduct, intemperate habits, incapacity, or inattention to duty on the part of the licensee.