t' ~c iA11T VY .ADGE. { C,...o~ Copyright R s rv d) • 
vail ble for publicat1 n wit out f in c nnect1on with the Btat m nt y th• 1n1~ter of ~hipping 1 the -use 
or Commons.
f'hotot.;ra ph is ex.ac tly twice the height of tho a ctu'11 badg•• 

UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE ACT, 1934 
Copy of Draft Unemployment Assistance (Determination of Need and Assessment of Needs) (Amendment) Regu­lations, I 9 3 9, dated 5th Decem her, I 9 3 9, made by the Minister of Labour and National Service under Sections 38 (3) and 52 (2) of the Unemployment Assistance Act, 1934, together with an Explanatory Memorandum 
Presented to Parliament by Command of His Majesty by the Minister of Labour and National Service 
LONDON 
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY HIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE 
To be purchased directly from H.M. STATIONERY OFFICE at the following addresses: 
York House, Kingsway, London, W.C.2; 120 George Street, Edinburgh 2; 
26 York Street, Manchester 1 ; I St. Andrew's Crescent, Cardiff; 
So Chichester Street, Belfast; 
or through any bookseller 

1939 Price zd. net Cmd. 6143 
UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE 

DRAFT UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE (DETERMINATION OF NEED AND ASSESSMENT OF NEEDS) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1939· 
The Minister of Labour and National Service by virtue of the powers conferred on him by Sections 38 and 52 of the Unem­ployment Assistance Act, 1934, the Minister of National Service Order, 1939, and of all other powers in that behalf hereby makes the following draft Regulations: ­
, ,,.---.. •,· -..., . 
. UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE ACT, 1934· 
DRAFT REGULATIONS. 
Whereas the Minister of Labour in pursuance of the powers 
. oonferred on him by the Unemployment Assistance Act, 1934, 
-(hereinaf~er -.referred to as " the Act "), duly made for the ·-purposes of the Act the Unemployment Assistance (Determin­ation of Need and Assessment of Needs) Regulations, 1936, (hereinafter referred to as " the principal Regulations "), and it is expedient to amend tl~e said Regu~ations; 
And whereas by virtue of the provisions of the Minister of National Service Order, 1939, the functions exercisable by the Minister of Labour under the Act are now being exercised con­currently by the Minister of National Service and the Minister of Labour, and the Minister of National Service is authorised to describe himself as the Minister of Labour and National Service; 
And whereas by ·the said Order it is provided that so far as may be necessary for such concurrent exercise any reference to the Minister of Labour in any of the documents therein speci­fied passed or made before the date of that Order shall be construed as a reference to the Minister of Labour and National Service; 
And whereas the provisions of subsections (2) and (3) of section 52 of the Act were duly c;omplied with, and the Minister of Labour and National Service (hereinafter referred to as " the Minister ") made and laid bef~:ire P_irlia:ment draft 
Regu1ationi:;'; ·: . -_ --__ 
And ~hereas each House of Parliainent by -resolution duly approved the said draft R~gulations; 
Now, therefore, the Minister by virtue of the powers con­ferred on him by sections 36 and 52 of the Act and of all other 
3 
powers in that behalf hereby makes the following Regulations in the terms of the draft so approved as aforesaid: ­
1.-(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Unemploy-Sh~rttitle 
ment Assistance (Determination of Need and Assessment of ~en~~:~nt Needs) (Amendment) Regulations, 1939, and shall come into ' force on the date hereof, and these Regulations and the Unem­ployment Assistance (Determination of Need and Assessment of Needs) Regulations, 1936, may be cited together as the Unem­ployment Assistance (Determination of Need and Assessment of Needs) Regulations, 1936 and 1939, and shall be construed 
as one. 
(z) The Interpretation Act, 1889, applies to the interpreta­tion of these Regulations as it applies to the interpretation of an Act of Parliament. 
2. The following amendments shall be made to the principal Amend­
ment of
Regulations and references therein to " scale rates " shall be 
First
construed accordingly : ­
Schedule
(1) 	Subject to the provisions of these Regulations the to the weekly rates set out in sub-paragraph (1) of para­principal graph l of the First Schedule to the principal Regula­Regula­
tions.
tions shall be increased as follows: ­
(a) 	
the rate of 24s. approp1iate to the householder and the householder's wife or husband shall be increased by two shillings; 

(b) 	
the rates appropriate to the householder where the above rate is not applicable and other rates appropriate to persons of the age of sixteen years or over, that is to say all rates of less than 24s. and not less than 8s. shall be increased by one shilling; 

(c) 	
rates appropriate to persons under the age of sixteen years including the minimum amount of 4s. allowed in respect of a child where the household consists of only one child in addition to not more than two adults, that is to say all rates of 6s. or less, shall be increased by sixpence. 


(z) 	Notwithstanding anything in paragraph (1) of this 
Regulation the rates set out in sub-paragraph (1) of 
paragraph l of the First Schedule to the principal 
Regulations and not the rates as so increased as 
af?r.esaid shall be used for the purpose of deter­
mmmg­
(a) 	whether undersub-paragraph (z)of paragraph1 of that Schedule any and if so what adjust­ment should be made in respect of the rent actually paid in any case; and 

4 

Operation of Unem­ployment 
As~istance 
(Winter Adjmt­ments) Regula­tions, 1938. 
(b) whether under the first proviso to Regula ti on IV of the principal Regulations any and if so what increase should be made in any case. 
(3) 	In paragraph 2 of the First Schedule to the principal 
Regulations the sum of 16s. 6d. shall be substituted 
for the sum of 15s. therein appearing. 

3. Nothing in these Regulations shall prejudice or affect the operation of the Unemployment Assistance (Winter Adjust­
l
ments) Regulations, 1938. 
I 
Signed by Order of the Minister of Labour and National 
Service this fifth day of December, 1939· 

T. W. 	Phillips, 
Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and National Service. 
l 

I 

5 
UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE ACT, 1934 . . 
DRAFT UNEMPLOYMENJ;' ASSISTANCE (DETERMINATION OF NEED AND ASSESSMENT OF NEEDS) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1939. 
Explanatory Memorandum. 
r. The accompanying draft Regulations amending those made in 1936 for the purpose of section 38 (3) of the Unemployment Assistance Act, 1934, are made by the Minister of Labour and National Service in the terms of a draft submitted to him by the Unemployment Assistance Board in accordance with sub­section (2) of section 52 of that Act. 
In view of the extent to which conditions have changed since the existing Regulations were made in 1936 and, in particular, since the outbreak of war, the Board decided that the scales set out in those Regulations, which form the basis on which their allowances are calculated, should be increased. 
Persons entitled to an allowance from the Board by virtue of the Regulations made under the Unemployment Assistance (Emergency Powers) Act, 1939, for the relief of distress caused by the war will be eligible for increases under the proposed Regulations equally with those who satisfy the conditions set out in section 36 of the Unemployment Assistance Act, 1934. 
2. 
The draft contains three Regulations. . Regulation r is largely formal; it contains the citation and interpretation clauses and provides that the Regulations as a whole are to come into force on the day on which they _are made. 

3. 
Regulation 2, which contains three paragraphs, is the operative Regulation:­


(a) Paragraph (r) increases the rates for household cases set out in paragraph r of the First Schedule to the existing Regulations by rs. in the case of persons of the age of r6 years or over and by 6d. in the case of children under that age. 
For purposes of comparison the existing scale and the proposed new scale are set out below. 
Proposed 
Old Rate.  Rate.  
A week .  A week.  
For the householder and the househ older's  
wife or husband  24s.  od.  26s.  od.  
For  the  householder  (where  the  above  
rate is not applicable) :- 
Male  16s.  od.  17s.  od.  
Female  .. .  ;r5s.  od.  t6s.  od.  

Proposed  
Old Rate.  Rate.  
A week.  A week.  
For membe1s of the household  to  whom  
the foregoing rates  do  not apply:­ 
If aged 2I yeais or over:­ 
Male  IOS.  od.  IIS.  od.  
Female...  gs.  od.  IOS.  od.  
If aged I6 years or  over  but less than  
ZI years  Ss.  od.  gs.  od.  
. If aged 14 yea1s or over but less than  
.  I6 years  .  6s.  od.  6s.  6d.  
If aged I I years or over  but less than  
I4 years  4s.  6d.  5s.  od.  
If aged 8 years  or  over  but less than  
II years  4s.  od.  4s.  6d.  
If aged 5 years  or over  but less than  
8 years...  3s.  6d.  4s.  od.  
If under the age of 5 years  3s.  ocl.  3s.  6d.  
· .Where the household consists of only one  
. child in  addition to  not  more . than  
two  adults,  the amount allowed in  
respect of that child shall he not less  
than  4s.  od.  4s.  6d.  

(b) Paragraph (2) of Regulation 2 contains two import­ant provisions which have been inserted in order to secure to applicants the full benefit of the increases made in the scales by paragraph (r). 
(i) Sub-paragraph (a) deals with the subject of rent: Under the existing Regulations the rates set out in the scale include the allowance for rent where the rent actually paid does not exceed one quarter of the total of the scale rates for all the members of the household: if the rent exceeds that sum the allowance is increased and, in all but a small minority of cases in which the rent is regarded as excessive, the full amount of the difference is added. If the rent is less than one quarter of the total o.f the scale rates, the allowance may be reduced, but in practice the reduction is frequently 
. : waived or its extent modified under the various local 
.. ·. rent rules . based on recommendations mad_e by.· the Board's Advisory Committees. Thus, if in the third example given in paragraph 7 the rent paid were r5s. 
a. week (which is 5s. more than one quarter of the total ·._ of the scale rates, 40s.), ss~ would have been addecf to ·the allowance, making it 45s. If the rent adj11stmertt were in future to be calculated on the basis of the new rates (44s:), the amount to be added in that case would be 4s. instead of 5s. The applicant would thus be deprived by the operation of the rent rule of rs. of the 
.' increase resulting from the additions made to the scales. 
7 


It is to avoid such a result that paragraph (a) provides that rent adjustments shall continue to be calculated on the old rates. 
(1i) Sub-paragraph (b) deals with the position under the first proviso to Regulation IV of the present Regu­lations. The general effect of this proviso is that, where in the case of a householder without resources which have been taken into account the allowance calculated in the normal way would be less than the Unemploy­ment Insurance benefit rate in force when those Regu­lations were made, the allowance is made up to that figure. Thus, the normal allowance for a man and wife without resources would be 24s., but, as the appro­priate benefit rate in that case would be 26s., an in­crease of zs. would be made under this proviso and the allowance would be 26s. 
Under the proposed Regulations, however, the normal allowance for a man and wife without resources and in the absence of any special circumstanc.es will be 26s., and, as this is equal to the appropriate benefit rate, no addition would fall to be made under the proviso, ·unless special provision were made to deal with the point. The result would be that the man who had been getting 26s. for himself and his wife under the present Regulations by virtue of the proviso would continue to get the same amount under the proposed Regulations. The provisions of paragraph (z) avoid this result and provide that the same increase as before shall be given under the proviso and the allowance in the case mentioned will therefore be 28s.; that is to say, the applicant will get the full benefit of the increases given by the proposed Regulations. 
(c) Paragraph (3) of Regulation 2 increases the rate for a person living otherwise than in a household consisting of two or more persons (e.g., as a lodger or boarder) from r5s. to r6s. 6d. 
4. 
The effect of Regulation 3 is that the increases resulting from the proposed Regulations will be in addition to and not in substitution for those made under the Winter Adjustments Regulations. 

5. 
The general effect of Regulations made in the terms of the present draft would, accordingly, be that, with the exception of a small number of cases raising special considerations, all existing allowances would be increased by sums, the amount of which in an individual case would depend on the number and ages of the persons in the household whose scale rates enter into the calculation of the allowance. · 


8 

~ 6: The additional cost of these increases will depend on the number of people to whom allowances are for the time being payable, but on the basis of the existing register of rather more than 400,000 it would, it is estimated, be in the neighbourhood of £z,500,ooo per annum. 
7. 
The following examples illustrate the amount of the increases in some typical cases; for the sake of simplicity the figures do not include any additions which might be made under the Winter Adjustments Regulations or to meet special circum­

8. 
The discretionary powers which form an important part of the present Regulations, and, indeed, of the administration of any service based on need, will not be affected by the pro­posed Regulations, and will continue to be exercised as at pres~nt wherever the special circumstances of the case so require. 


stances.  
Proposed  
Old Rate.  Rate.  
Family consisting of man  and wife and  
three children aged IO, 8 and 2. having  
no resources and paying rent of 8s. gd.  35s.  od.  38s.  6d.  
A similar family in which the applicant  
has resources of which 16s. have been  
treated as available towards the needs  
of the household  19s.  od.  22S.  6d.  
Family consisting of man  and wife and  
two dependent daughters of 18 and 16  
with  no  resources  and paying a  rent  
Of IOS.  40s.  od.  44s.  od.  
A similar family in which the applicant  
has resources of which 20s. have been  
treated as available  20S.  od.  24s.  od.  

(215n) Wt. 7500 & 40 12/39 P. St. G. 313 

--
·-· 
5/12/39. -No. 1. 
FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE 
The following official communique was issued from French GoHoQo this morning:­
"Patrol o.nd artillery activity during the night on certain points of the front 11 , 
----oOo--·­
EMPIRE AFFAIRS ~5/_1_2/"'""39.....___....... N_o~ 
GEill.1AN AFRIKANERS DENOUNCE HITLER NO COMPROMISE WITH NAZI PAGANISM 
The German African Anti-Nazi Party, the formation of which in Johannesburg was announced a fevv days ago, has adopted as its main objects "the unrestricted fight against National Soeialism" and support of General Smuts and the South Afriean Government. Branches of the party have been formed in the larger eentres of the Union. 
At the party's inaugural meeting, the Chairman, Mr. 
w. Fischer, said: "We German Afrikaners draw a sharp line of demarcation between t'·is country which generously gave us hosp~tality, freedom and peace, and the tyrants of Nazi Germany. Their bloodstained hands are stretched out to this country and it would have been threatened by the fate 
o~ Austr~, Czechoslovakia and Poland if General Smuts had 
not taken aetion. 
"We reject any eompromise with Nazism or Bolshevism and have nothing in eommon with anyone whose loyalty to our new homeland is do"W.btfv.l. We lmow that this struggle may last a long time, but we are determined to exchange the weapon of the word for the sword when the hour arrives. The bulwark we have erected against Nazism is still small, but it will become stronger from day to day. 
"In the Union there is "(fust as little place for the neo-paganism of Hitler, Goering and Co. as in any other freedon loving demoeraoy." 
-----~~ooo~-----­

EMPIRE AFFAIRS 5/12/39· -Ho. 3. "PEACE RIVER11 SUDETEN-. AND CZECH REFUGEES FIND A HAVEN IN CANADA. 
.. . 
From lJorthern Saskatchewan and Peace River, British Columbia, comes by Transatlantic Clipper news of 300 Sudetsn . and Czech f o.milies, refugees of Hitlerism, who are adopting a new life in a new country. 
In the communities can be found doctors, lawyers, journalists, factory workers, who with expert guidance and modern tools to assist them, are learning to become farmers on a 30,000 acre block of l ando Colonization officers selected f amilies most likely to adapt themselves to this entirely novel life, and t hese pioneers have agreed to remain on the land for at least two years, after which t~me they will assume the responsibility and ownership of their holdings and will be s elf-supporting. 
Besides working together to master the rudiments of co-operative farming, the refugees have built accommodation for themselves, their animal s and crops, and have also erected t wo schools, where they will learn the language of their new continent this wi~ter. 
The settlement has been financed by a grant from the Anglo-French £10 million loan to Czechoslovakia at the time of the Munich c.ris~.s. 
---oOo--­
Er1PIRE AFFAIRS 5/12/39. -No. 4. 
GERMAN'S TRIBUTE TO RHODES IAJ.lf INTERNMENT CAl":IP NAZI ALLEGJ'1TIONS BELIED. 
A German internee, Baron Verner von Albensleben, who escaped with another man from the Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia, internment camp, paid a warm tribute to the Rhodesian authorities in an interviev-1 with a reporte:· in Portuguese East Africa. 
111
"My comrade and , he declared, "both desire to make it perfectly clear tbat we have nothing against Rhodesia, the interment camp, or the Camp Commandant, who, on the contrary, ·l.l..nder--d.i:f.'.fi.cu-t --0-0nd.iilons, did everything possible to make the lives of the internees as pleasant as ean be exp-ected11 
• 
This impartial evidence is interesting in view of the fact that articles have recently appeared in the German Press alleging the ill-treatment of the Salisbury Camp prisoners. It was stated, among other untruths, 1;.Q.at.__.__,,_ the inte-rnees......J.lll.e_p.e--h.o-used._i.n._i.t'-Ol'.1.-h.u..t-s wi.thout any p:oo.t.ection against heat or cold, and that for part of the time they had been in Salisbury GaoJ. i..n...-.the. -company of native prisoners. 
ThE: facts are that for the first few days they were indeed interned in an unused and specially cleaned n2tive block of 3alisbury Prison, but they were soon as possible transferred to a permanent camp where they are accommodated in huts identical with those provided for the troops. Married couples with children are given two or three rooms. Medical services are provided and the education of the children who have a playground outside the camp is in the hands of Rhodes ian Government teachers. 
Parties of internees are taken to Salisbury swimming pool once a week, Pi1d on Satb:tday aftern.oon they are escorted to a Salisbury picture house. 




MINISTRY OF LABOUR. 
Press Notice 
No. 5/5.12.39. 
The Ministry of Labour and National Service announces that the Baking Trade Board (Scotland) met in Glasgow on 22nd and 23rd November, 1939 under the Chairmanship of Mr. John Stcvmrt, B·L·, and formulated their proposals as to minimum rates of wages to be payable to workers in the baking trade in Scotland. 
The Board decided to issue a Notice of Proposal to all employers in the trade in Scotland setting out the minimum rates of wages they propose to fix. This Notice will be issued during the next few weeks and every employer in the trade wj_ll be under statutory obligation to exhibi.t the Notice in a promirnmt position in hl s bakehouse or other premises where he employs workers within the scope of the Board. The Notice -vrill spe0ify the period during which objections to the Board's proposals may be lodged. 
The Board propose to fix separate scales of minimum rates for the five districts for which they had set up District Trade Committees. In the case of three districts, for the purpose of the minimum rates for skilled male work~rs, the Board have G.ivided each district into three areas and they propose C:.ifferent minimum rates :::'or each class of worker in each of these areas. P'Jr example, in the West Central district, one area comprises Glasg 0\v, another all burghs other than Glasgov-v with a population of 3, 000 or over and the third the remainder of the West Central District. In the case of the other two districts, the Board have divided each district into two areas for a similar purpose. 
Exam.;:iles of the range of the proposed general minimwn time rates per week of 48 hours applicable to the principal classes of adult male workers in each district area ar e as follows:­
North and West North Eastern East Central Southern West Central 
Foremen bakers 72/6 and 77-6 75/-to 85-0 so/-to 85-0 72/-t o 85-0 7<;/-to 87-6 
Ovenmen 63/6 and 66-6 64/-to 71-0 63/6 to 70-0 65/-to 68-0 64/-to 72-6 
Doughmakers 62/6 and 65-6 62/-to 69-0 61/-to 67-6 64/-to 67-0 64/-to 70-6 
Journeymen bakers60/6 and 63-6 60/-to 66-0 61/-to 65-0 62/-to 65-0 62/-to 67-6 

··rorkers in ) 
charge of fully ) 
aut omatic ) 52-0 58-0 58-0 52-0 52-0 
wrapping and ) 
slicing machines) 

Other male ) 
workers ) 
( excluding charg~ 52-0 55-0 55-0 50-0 52-0 
hands, clerks, ) 
storemen and ) 
despatch workers)) 

For jobbers, the Board propose an extra payment of 1/-for each Saturday and 6d. for each other day, except those in the North Eastern District for whom they propose an extra payment of 1/-for each day including Saturday. 
1. 

Samples of the general mim..mmn time rates per week of 48 hours proposed for adult female workers to apply to the whole of each district are as follows:­
North and West North }';astern East Central Southern West Central
--...-·-·---	----­
Confectioners etc. 40.0 3?.0 42.0 36.0 
Workers wholly or 
mainly employed in ~ 
baking oatcakes etc.) 

36-0 and in certain other) confectionery work. ) 
Forewomen over such 50-0 '12-0 50-·0 40-0 40-0
workers. 
~ 
Other female workers)
, 
ixcept certain ) 
32-0 32-0 37-0 33-0 34-0
classes of forewomen) and charge hands.) ) 
For casual workers in the North and West, East Central &"'1d Southern, districts, the Board propose an extra payment of 6d. for each Saturday v.nd 3d. for each other day, and in the West Central district, 1/-for each Saturday and 6d. for each other day. 
The districts to which the minimum rates proposed by the Board will r.elate are as follows:­
1. 	
North and West. That portion of Inverness-shire lying north of the Caledonian Canal, together with the Counties of Shetland, Orkney, Caithness, Sutherland, Ross and Cromarty, Argyll and Bute. 

2. 	
North Eastern. That portion of Inverness-shire, including the town of Inverness, lying south of the Caledonian Canal, together with the Counties of Nairn, Moray, Banff, Aberdeen and Kincardine. 

3. 	
East Central . The Counties of Angus, Perth, F'ife, Kinross) Claokmarman and _Stirling. 


4.. Southern. 	The Counties of Midlothian, East and West Lothian, Peebles, Selkirk, Roxburgh, Ber.vick, Wigtown, Kirkcudbright and Dumfries. 
5. West Central . 	The Counties of Lanark, Renfrew, Dumbarton and Ayr. 
Press Office, 
Ministry of Labour and National Service, 
Montagu House, Whitehall, S.W.1. 

Telephone: Whitehall 6200. 
2. 
H. Q.84-485 L.I. 


The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has issued a question.n.aire to all farmers requesting information as to the livestock, acreage under certain cr opJ, and stocks of certain feeding stuffs nn their holdings on 4th Decembe:r . 'l'he question iaire is issued under' the Agrieul tural i~eturns Order made uncier the Defence Regulations, and its completio11 is compulsory. The Porm is to be returned not later tho.n 19th December. 
The infonnation asked for will b~ of the utmost value to the Ministry in assessing existing and prospective conc5_i tions on farms, and it will be of the greatest assistance to the Department if fc..rmers will return the q_uestio1rnaire sent to them b.S y_uickly as possible to the address given on the :B'orm . 

IViIN"ISTRY OF' J\GF.I CUL'I'uRE 1.1ELKLY hT.;ws SLBRVICE NO. 13.
-----·----------------·-··-...--~-·-~..-,,,,. __.;_,._________ 
BH I 'l'l\.I H H.i.~'I'UIUTS TO 'I'EB PLOUGH . 
Fa1~E1G11s Resconc( In SDite Of Diff:lculti0s ,,

---~..----·---·
~


______________..___ 

I n spite o;:' di:ff:Lcult ies, farmers are responding t o the best of their ability in their tasJc of plouc:hing an additional 1, 500,000 acres for next harvest. Good proc:
ross is b eing :made , althouc:,l"l t h e Gffort is being d 0manded from an indus try that has been fa cing i:1;.,;.ny years of depression ancl whose fine.n cial reso·..:trces were well-nir::,h exh<::<usted at the outbreak of war. The war has already imposed on them increased costs . 
It is therefore a great ach iever1ent th;:ci_t a ntu.nber of counties already have in prospect the j_nitial quota of extra arable acres for wh ich Sir Reg inald Dorinc.m-S':..1.i th ap·poaled. Th is is a tribute alike to the farn18rs' patriotism and to th eir trust in the undertakj.ng tho..t the country will see that they shall not suffer by what they are now doing to consol ids.te the 11 fo«.JiC1 front11 • 
. cl. .
I nvi ious Com_par:i.sons . 
It v10uld be uEf'air, at tr.Lis early stage, to compare the acreage in the di fferent counties that has been proillised for additional pl oughi ng. Each county has been given its task, but it cannot be pretended that it is uniforn1 for all the counties with their varying conditions of soils and farini ng practice. 
I t i s urgently hoped that not one favourabl e day will be lost in speeding the ploush. But ar,,y county that i~ behind~hand on account of we at her conditions r;1ay t oJrn heart from the knovrledge that there 'Nill still be time to maJ.rn up leeway in the spring. 
The fact that when the farmer has done his pl ou::)linc; he is still faced wi.tht t ho heavibr cost~ cr opping 
1. 
the land only emphasises the fundamental importancB c,f the Government's policy of ensuring to the producer remunenativo prices. rrhe addition of 4/6do per quarter for wheat and 3/-per 
quarter for oats grown under the pea~..J time conditions of 1938/39 may be regarded as a token of the Government's good faith. 
The vast majority of farmers, it seems, are interpreting it in that way, for their voluntary respons~ has been universal and very few compulsory ord$rs have had to be served. County Committees and their hard--workcd staffs are everywhere attacking 
the problem with immense vigouro This campaign, unprecedented in our history, to plough 1,5009 000 additional acres in a singl'e season, is moving steadily towards f:rui tion. Yeoman England is once again playing its part6 
Plough for Milko 
These extra acres are essential in the national interest. But it is no less essential in the stock-keeperB own interest that he should be as independent as possible of arrivals of feeding stuffs from abroado Theref'ore, although he may have fulfilled the ploughing up requirements of his County Comrnitte~, it should be no bar to his ploughing up even moro land, if he has the opportunity, to f eed his own stock. 
With this end in view County Committees are now authorised to give increased freedom of cropping to applicants for the £2 per acre ploughing-up grant, and to encourage the growing not only of oats and barley f'or feeding but also rape, kale, roots and all fodder crops·o At the beginning of' the campaign it was desirable to ensure that an increase in the acreage of' certain approved crops was seoured: now every farmer 
.· 

... 
should in addition strive to return to the practice of his fathers to make his farm as f'ar as possible self-supporting. 
Hand in hand with increas,:::id production of arable crops must go improvement of the remaining grassland so that it may produce grass f'ood for the maximum number of stock. 
x
x x x 
COiTTROL O? LIT~-~10CK_ 
!il~~~:KLTG. 
FREE NIARKE·:r FOR FAT • STOCK
---·
----·M------·--..--··--·-·------­

Arrangements for the control Of livest ock marketing, ·including the :p1,rchase of the stock by the Ministry of Food, and for controlling the distribution of home-killed meat have been uncler close exe.mine.tion, an·i certain ad justments are bei;1.g made which 111ill ta1<e some weeks to complete. As, moreover the Government do not consider it d.esii-•able to i :::-:ttroc1uce control during the period of the Christmas trade, it is proposed to :postpone the introc1..uction of contr ol u:,1ti l the J.~ew Year. 
'rhe 1~overnment has recognised. that the present system of partial control under the Maximum PI•ices Orders, (which was only designed as an interim measure,) we.s givi:-:i.g rise to i ncreasing difficulties i ~1• the mar':eeting of fe.t stock. In these circumstances, and havi::1g regard to the adequate supplies of fresh meat which are expected to be available over the Christmas season, the restrictions on marJ.{.eting end the control of prices of fatstock , i ncluding pigs, were removed as from :L:iriday, December 1st. until the date on which full control is established. This will be ann.ounc e~-:.. in due course. The decision applies to all prices; both wholesale anc1 retailo Before full control is introduced a?propriate ad justments in the schedule of initial prices to be paid. f'or f e.t stock, as published three weeks ago will be made after co:'.1sultation with producers' organisat ionso ·rhe revised schedule will take account. of seasonal trends a·::
d othe.~'.' relevant factorso 
x x x x x 
IHCREASL.fG THE WHEAT YIELD. 
-·-·~-...----· 
---···----­Earl:L_Y.~!'..§_-qs late Top Dr~~sing. It is sometimes thought essential to top-dress cereals in February/Marcho This is still one of the most certain ways of increasing a ],ate and backwar·l crop ­
3 .. 
nitrogenous f'erti1iser applied. at this time increases the number of tillers, and it .m:J~st often be done if a full crop is to be obtained. 
ThiE; fe.ct, however, le8.ds to another aspect of the matter. When a cr•op is already well tille-ill);. the greatest increase in the ~rield is often olJtained by a later dressing 2 say between mid-Ap:c"i], and mid-May. Fertilisera applied at this time increA.se the yield of corn wj_ thout increasing the number of' tillers. This is an advantage , since excessive incrsase in the number t'f tilJDrs en each pla.nt tends to more and 1Neake r stem with 1ittle increase in yield. 
x x x x 

In some i•espects land drainage has an added impc,rtance at the present time. It is no1,v essential tc bring all suitable land into use for food productio!l, and fertility schemes are me rel;y-a waste of money on land that badly needs draining·. On the other hand the need for economy· , ·both in money and men, makes it desiralJle to postpone or curtail scme impr'ovement schemes of a long term nature. 
The Minister of Agriculture 's view is that it is desirable to prcceed vii th work that will maintain or Enbstantiall3;• improve the productivity of considera1Jle areas of land within a reasonable time. "Reasonable time 11 should be interpreted in 
the light of ttc Government 1 s decision to prepare for a three years' war. 
To avoid overlapping and confusion, the County War Agriculturo.l Committees have been advised of the powers that Drain.age Ac,1thori ties already possess and are r ecommended to consult with these authorities where land drainage is contemplated for furthering food producti on. 'Ihe fullest use should be made of the g1•ants available for land drainage. County Committees have pOivers to require occupiers of 
agricultural land to deal vdth their watercourses from the point 
of view of increasing food productiono But in districts where a Drainage Board is the responsible authority, it will probably be most convenient for any considerable work of improver:ient to be carried out by the Board in consultation with the Committ ee. In districts where there is no Drain;, ~e Board, the County or Borough Council would normally be the authority to undertake the ·work, 'Nhich would generally be eligible for a grant under the 1937 Agriculture Act. The Minister of Agriculture, Sir Reginald Dorman­S1nith, appreciates that in -:;rar conditions it may be difficult for Councils to undertake any considerable runount of drainage So he has suggested that Councils may consider the desirability of inviting the ap:·~)ropriate County Comrnittee to prepare schemes that would be formally submitt ed by the Council for grant under the Act. x x x x x 

PIG CLUB§. Response Alr~ady Encouraging. 
Although the newly f ormed Small Pig Keepers' Council has hardly had time to begin 'Nork, it has already received several hundreds of letters at its headquarters at Victoria House, Southampton Row, WoCol. 9 from people anxious to lend a hand in increasing our supplies of pig meat. 
Particularly gratifying is the fact that enquiries have come from all classes of the community. Farmers and farm workers, wealthy suburban residents, miners from the Welsh valleys, large country houses, tenants of small urban houses and innkeepers all figu:!'.'es on the list. Some are already members of pig clubs and would like to see their clubs expand; others want to form a pig club; others desire to >:now how to go to work to keep a pig or t wo at · the bottom of the garden or in some outbuildings e 
This is exactly as it s"!:l.0111-1. be . 
·. snch moveffients 
5. 
flourish best Yvhen they spring up f rrn:1 
local enthusiasu.;119 and 
although thl':i S el.) .IL C~ will do evcr>;:-{thi ng possible to encourage 
this spir it to spread9 it ai ms at no 11 r·o.ntin' tantin' 11 carr;pai gn 
to make ·every:ane pi g cons~;iou.s. In the meantime all who want 
advice or helJ? in startino: a club or keeping a pig are invitcd 
to a~Jply to the council. 
Local authorities are al so pl aying their part in relaxing restr ictions on oig and poultry lrneping by their tenants in council f-Iouses . ~che Borougi1 of Beccl es 9 for instance, that formerly forbade theiP tenant s to keep either' pigs or hens has now lif ted the ban. 
x x x x x x x 

The Bosr cl of Trade has issued an Ord.er which excludes frora the scope of the War IUsks Insurance Act a number of agricultural products .v1hile still on the f arm. A previous Order• 

from the o;ieration of the scheme; but a few, including milk, butt er, cheese, eggs and wool9 remained insurable. The insurance of these was compulsory if their total value at 2ny ti1-:-ie amou...Ylted to mor·e than £1,000, but this figt:i.re was rarely, if ever, exceeded, and insurance consequently remained voluntary. Farmers have not, in fact, availed themselves of the facilities, and it has been considered unnecessary to retain any distinction in regar•d to different classes of agricultural j)roduce. 
The effect of the amended Order will be, therefore, that no agricultural proc"iucts of any kind, produced on the f'arm, will9 while still on the farm, be insurable under the Government scheme either compulsorily or voluntarily. 
6. 

Following representations made to them by responsible bodies, the Board of Tradr~ have rna.de two further OrdP.rs unde1~ t he War Risks Insurmi.ce Act, 1Sl39. The first Orcler makes certain amendments in the War Risks Insura.nce (General Exceptions) Order made on the 22nd Septe..rr1b8r, viz:­
(a) For the first i tern in the ScheC:.ule to the Order rclating to agriculture, there is substituted the f ollowing rrnended definition:­
"Grmiine crops, plants ano. trees, livestock, and, in rela.tion to a person carrying on the businesf; of producing agriculturel products, the following goods produced by that person v1hen on l aml occupie6.. by him in the course of that business, th:1t i s to sa~y , agricultural p1~oducts and articles of food and drinl:: ·wholly or partly manufa.ctured or derived fran any such product and fleeces and the s..."k:irrn of &n:iJnals. 11 
(b) 
The effect of the terms of i tern 7 of tlie Schedule ;7as to make mica uninsurable. 'I'he new order specifically makes mica insurable. 

(
c) In i tffil 10 of the Schedule , which relates to iron 2.nd steel of certain descriptions, for the words n,structural work including bria..ge, pier, tank and plate work whilst at Producers 1 fiorks" there are substituted the words "assemblies cf pL)..tes and sectioneJ. !110.terials as component parts cf structures". 


It i s further prcvided that no Order directing that goods of any descrip tion shall be deemed not to be goods insurable una..er Part II shall, in relation to any person carrying on a business in the course of \"lhich he constructs or repairs ships or propelling machinery for ship:J, have effect in relation to any goods appropriat ecl for the construction or repair of 8Yl.Y particular ship or p::..rt oi' such ship. 
The second Order excludes from insurance under Part II of the Act the following descriptions of goods:­
(1) Slates for dsmpcourses and slate slabs. 
( 2) Concrete products of all descriptions. 
(3) 	
'.l.~'.le followingm81lufactures of stone:­Pavement kt:1rbs and setts; channels, slabs and flags; 
and mp.J'.lufactu.recl stone for building purposes. 


(4) 
~ent oxide ot' iron. 

(5) 	
The following compounds of radium of a concentration exceeding 
ten per cent: ­brom.ide, ca.rbonate, chloride and sulphate. 



( 6) Ores, conoentrates, mattes, drosses and residues of gold, 
silver, platinu_,11, palladium, iridiu,11, rhodium, osmium and 
ruthenium. 

-1­
(?) Gola., silver, platimun, pallaa.ium, iridiu.'Il , rhodium, osmium and ruthenium, and alloys thereof, in sheet or tube; and ply-metal in the form of ::;heet, tube or viire of which any of the said metals or 011y alloy thereof' i s a component. 
(8) :Nickel, unv;rought, in all fonns. 
(9 ) 	Pl'inting ri1achfa1ery of the following descrip tions: ­'l';ypesetting, letter press (including rotary ancl flat bed), lithographic, photogravu,re 1:md stereotyping. 
(10) 	Recovered sewage grease and sewage sludge. 

The original Order e~~empted the great bulk of agricultural products from the operation of the scheme v;hile on iJ1e farm, 1Ju t a few products, e. g. milk, butter, cheese, ef_'.'.gs, still remainec1 insurable while 30 situated. In th1:.se cases the value of the stock rarely, if ever, exceeded £1,0CO, and insur ance consequently remained voluntary. Farmers have not, in f~-.ct, av ailed themselves of the facilities, and it has been considered unnecessary to retain any distinction in regard to insurability for different cla.sses of agriculturn.l proauce ·Nhile on the f'arm. The effect of the anena.ed Order is entirely to remove such pro<bce fran the scope of the comrnodity insurar10P. scheme. 
Board of Trade. 
5th December, 1939. 
~­
MINISTRY OF SHIPPING 5/12/.39 NO. 9 

THE KING HONOURS THE I~ERCH.ANT NAVY SIR JOHN GILMOUR 1 S ANN OUN CEMENT IN PARLIAMENT 
Sir John Gilmour in reply to a question asked in Parliament yesterday, said that His Majesty the King had been graciously pleased to approve of the issue of a badge to the officers and men of the Merchant Navy. 
This announcement has been received with great pleasure by the members of the Merchant Service who have expressed through their representatives their keen appreciation of the design of the badge. The badge will be distributed to the rifficers and men as and when they engage for service on and after the 1st January next. 
Men who have been disabled at sea since the beginning of the war and vvho are unable to sign rm again will be entitled to the badge. The badge will also be issued to officers and men of our Deep Sea Fishing Fleets. 
We are privileged to be able to reproduce in our columns a photograph of the badge, which will be worn in the buttonhole, 
---000--­
.---. 
5/12/39 No. 10. 
PRESS NOTICE 
Captain H. L. UPTON, D.s.c., R.D., R.N.R., has been appointed a Royal Naval Reserve Aide-de-Camp to H.M. The King from .the 25th October, 1939 in succession to Captain R. G. CLAYTON, D.s.c., R.D., R.N.R., who has been placed on the retired liste 
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AilltITRALTY,
s.w.1. 
EMPIRE AFF&E§. 5/12/39 No 11, 
WORK OF THE CANADIAN ROYAL NAVY 
PROTECTION OF COASTS .fil\ID OF SHIPPING 

A vivid picture of the tasks of the Canadian Royal Navy has been given in a broadcast talk by a spokesman of the Department of National Defence, Ottawa. 
He spoke of the work of the Canadian destroyers, now six in 
number, which, cut·s iYig through the water at 36 knots, and armed 
with 4.7 guns, torpedoes, and depthcharges, are the nightmare 
of the marauding submarinee 

While admitting that there had been no apparent enemy submarine activity on the Car.adian side of the Atlantic, this spokesman recalled that in the l ast war, during the two years October, 1916 t.o Novc:nber 1918y t wenty-six merchant vessels were sunk within 300 miles of the Canac1ian coast-line. Moreover, 78 vessels ovmed or registered in . ·canada were sunk in 1914­1918, a proportion of lo 57& of the thirteen millions of tonnage sunk .during those years. 
Nothing like this, declared the spoke'sman, would happen 
again, for the me t hods of detecting and destroying submarines 
had improved beyond all measure during the past twenty years. 

The task of the Royal Canadian Navy, he continued, was a two-fold one; it was responsible, in co-operation with the Army and the Air Force, for the protection of Canada's coasts, and it had to protect shi :;?ping from the hazards of enemy action, the Royal Canadian Air Force co-operating in this latter dutyo 
Turning to the possibility of enem~,r activity against Canada, this spokesman suggested that it would be directed against the l arger ports, particularly those which were important centres 
of tradeo Such centres had therefore been constituted as ·Defended Portse Coast Defence batteries had been placed in strategic positions9 and a system of Coast Defence Searchlights had been installedo Those steps had been taken by the Army. / What the Navy 
-2 -
Whnt the Navy were doing was, where conditions 
pe:cmitted, to place in position an anti-submarine boom End 
anti-torpedo nets, to kee1) the ship-channels swept clear of 
mines, and to institute anti-submarine patrols in the vicinity 
of the harbour-mouth, and, by means of an Exarnination 
Service, to control merchant traffic in and out of the 
harbour. 
For these varied purposes more ships obviously 
were required than were normally in commission in the 
R.O. iT. In addition to their 6 destroyers and 5 mine­
sweepers, therefore, some 40 additional vessels had been taken up. During the last war, a total of 242 vessels had been either chartered or reguisitioned --100 ar-ifters, 36 trawlers, the remaining 106 being vessels of various sizes. 
As the need for vessels grew, so did the clemand for men· Before the war there were some 1,700 officers and men in the R.C.H. That number had already been more than doubled. The spokes111an concluded by emphasising that the Royo.l Canadian Navy was in every respect Canada's own Navy --the officers and the men being 100/~ Canadians. But the R.C.N. was in its organisation, armament and training, built on the same lines as the Royal navy, and thus could take its place alongside _the other Navies of the British Comrnonweal th. It was prepared for any, whether c1efensive, or offensive, call thAt i11i gl1 t be made on it. 
....,5/._l-"2.._/..,..39...____N_o-'-. 12 • 
NO PERM.ANENT COMLISSIONS IN INDIAN .ARIIY. 
As the number of officers? British and Indian, which will be required for the Indian Army after the war eannot be foreseen, the Government of India have decided that no permanent commissions will be given except to ·those cadets now at the Indian Military Academy and those successful in the recent competitive examination and due to join as cadets in January next. 
Cadets who join the Indian Military Acaderey after that date and all other officers required for the Indian Army, :Critish and Indian, w11-l receive emergency commissions for the duration of the war. At the conclusion of hostilities 9 those who desire to make the Army their career will be eligible to be considered for the grant of permanent comr:'liss i0ns. 
-------000------­
INDIA OFFICE 

2fl.2/39 No. 13 .• 
The Committee set up to investigate the cases of refugees from Germany and Austria, with a view to their release where possible, has now examined practically all cases of genuine refugees and some others, and has ordered the release of 309 refugees and 19 others 9 including four missionaries. 
It has now been decided that this Cornrnittee shall investigate the cases of all other internees with a view to deciding in each case whether or not the individual can be released from internment and allowed to remain at liberty in1 or to depart from 9 India. Meanwhile 1 although male enemy subjects must obtain the permission of the Central Government, there is no restriction upon the voluntary departure of women and children 1 who have only to notify their intention to the Registration Officero 
No enemy subject will be allowed to take out of India any gold or property other than personal luggage or any cash or negotiable instruments exceeding Rs.. 1500 in valuea It is also prohibited to take out of India certain prescribed documents and other articles. 
+++-!'-++++ 
INDIA OFFICE 
FOR PRESS AND BROADCAST. 5/12/39 -No.14. 
PRESS NOTICE. 
The King has been pleased to approve the appointment of the Reverend Grotius Alexander James, Reetor of Courteenhall, Northampton, to the Rectory of St.Michael in the Vale, Guernsey1 in the place of the Reverend Frederick William Stamp le Lievre, who has resigned. 
HOME OFFICE. 
MILITARY AFFAIRS 
5112/3~ . -No 1,2 
Please do not guote War Office as official source. 
OUR MUNITIONS EFFORT 
An idea of the moment'WTl which the munitions effort of Great Britain is attaining within the United Kingdom can be gained from the fact that the production of ammunition of all sorts has been doubled .during the past six months. Plans 
are now being executed which will double this new output during the coming six months, and thus at the end of twelve months the initial output will have been quadrupled. 
This has been made possible by an increase in both Government and private factories. Government factories have. been already increased to six times the number as compared with two years ago, and next year , will be increased to eight times the original n'WTlber. Certain commercial concerns have. created new facto:ifies while others have doubled the size of 
their peace time munitions producing plant. Commercial expansion has not been as rapid as that of Government establishments, but there are almost as many civil as Government munitions factories, and by next year, the n'WTlber of the former 
may well excee:d the latter. One Government factory has produced its first gun 
in just over a year from the commencing day of the building of the factory, and this is typical of the rapidity of production, of which this community is capable. 
WAR OFFICE. 
MINISTRY OF FOOD ANNOUNCE.MENT 5/12/39 No.. 16 
FOOD MINISTER' S VISIT. 
Mr. w.s. Morrison, the Minister of Food, visited a British Port today to witness for himself some of the distribution arrangements resulting from the safe arrival of food ships from countries abroad. 
He saw millions of eggs and thousands of carcases of mutton and lamb being unloaded for despatch for the fighting services and to the-home i'ront and chatted_with several of the men engaged on the worko 
Asked if there was any shortage of meat he explained that the arrivals of imported meat were at present above pre~war
' 
level but as supplies. to the Services must come first some shortage of supplies to the public must be expected~ 
The rationing of bacon and butt:o.r, he said, was part of the civilian contribution to our war efforto To reduce our demand for these commodities would release ships for the tr-ansport -Of war---matreri.al.s-and the.-:C.or-eign.400ney--wh:L.cb,.. would be necessary to pay for themo 
+++++++++ 
5/12/39 -No.17. 
STATEMENT FOR PUBLICATION 
The Ministry of Economic Warfare is now extending the operation of the "Navicert" system, which has been available since December 1st for exports from the United States of 
America to certain European neutral countrieso Henceforth Navicerts will also be issued in respect of shipments from 
Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay to Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Belgium and Italyo 
Shippers in Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, who desire to avail themselves of the advantages of navicerts should 
furnish His Majesty's Representatives with details of the goods they propose to export, their nature and quantity, 
country of destination, name and address of consignee, and, as soon as possible, name of the vessel in which the goods · are to be shipped and date of shipment. Application forms are available at His Majesty's EI: ..)assies at Rio de Janeiro 
and Buenos Aires, HoM. Legation at Montevideo and H.M. Consulates in Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, and should be returned to them when completed. 
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Press Section, 
Ministry of Economic Warfareo 

MILITARY AFFAIRS. ~~1~.39. -No. 18. 
MY CHRISTMAS, MY GUINNESS. 
Messrs, Arthur Guinness, Son & Co~, Park Royal Brewery, London, N.W.10, have made a present of 150,000 bottles of Guinness as a Christmas gift to the British Army in France. 
The Secretary of State for War has, on behalf of the British Army, accepted this g~ft from Messrs. Guinness with many thanks. 
WAR OFFICE. 
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BQAiill___QE__'J'RADE ANNOUNCEMENT. 

The Board of Trade regret that some inconvenience has been caused to exporters by the inadvertent inclusion of the words "rruit (dried)" in the notice vvhich they issued on 14th November regarding the foodstuffs of which the export was freed from the req_uirement of export licences on :L5th Nove"'lber. Under the Amending Order which came into force on that day, the export of fruit dried or otherwise preserved without suga1"' to any destination l"'emaj_ned subject to export licence. 
Board of' Trade, 
5th December, 1939. 

BOARD OF TRAD~ ANHOUNCEMENT. 
Arising out oi' t!1e letter, dated 22nd NovE:lmber, from the Presiclent oi' the Board of T1"ade to Sir Frederick Whyte, in which t :-ie President rec1uosted the Ci:nematogr aph li1:Ums Council to direct their in~ediate attention to new measures designed to meet the war-time r equirements of the British film industry, the Council today appointed a Committee to expedite 
1
action in this dir•ection. 11he Comrni ttee will consist of the follovdng members:­
Si1' Frederic};: Vl!h;yte (Chnriman) Professor Arnold Plant Mr. D.E. Grj_ffithsCaptain the Honourable R. Norton Mr. A.'N. j·arratt N!r. G. IL Elvin. 
A further member with financial and economic experience will be appointed. 
Board of Trade, 
5th December, 1939. 
,2 ) 

MINISTRY OF SUPP:LY DISPL.t.YS. 
Sample Munition Stor~~· 
Mr. Leslie Burgin, Minister of Supply, to-day opened the London display of munition stores which the Ministry has arranged to assist its contractors and firms who are willing to undertake Ministry of Supply contracts. The London display is at Savoy Hill House, W.C.2. 
Represents..tives oL i1orc than 4,000 firms have already visited Ministr:y of Supply sample rooms at various centres throughout the courLk'Y· Arrangements have been made f'or several thousand L1ore firms to inspect the samples. In addition to the display at Savoy Hill House others are now open at : 
King Edward House 9 Sherwood Buildings, 
New Street 9 Sherwood Street 
Birmingham, Notting-ham. 

11 Piccadilly, 32 Baldwin Street . 
Manchester.. DristoL 

141 Bath Street, 41, Sidney Street . 
Glasgow C.2. Cambridge. 

Queens Buildings , L~ St. Nicholas Buildings, 
Queens Street , Newcastle-on-~JUe. 
Sheff'ielcL 

Representative selections of stores have also been shown at Reading and Tunbridge ~Vells. 
In addition to the sample rooms of munition stores, pattern rooms for clifvJ:ring and general stores have been opened at the .following addresses : 
London R. A.O. C. Depoty.. Greenf'ord (shortly to be moved to a joint Pattern Room with Jjlrniralty at Penfold St. i Paddington). 
Birmingham King Edward House, New Street _ 
Glasgow 65~ Renfield Street ~ C.2. 
Leeds 9, Park Place. 
Belf'ast 7 9 Donegal l Square West. 
Bristol Royal London House , Queen Charlotte Street. 
Manchester 1f\/hitworth House ,, 115 Princess Street. 
Sheffield Parade Chambers ., East Parade. 
Wolverhampton 3 . Queen's Street. 
Displays of stores are proving useful to both firms at prese,:it engaged in work for the Ministry of Supply and to others who have. felt that they might undertake contracts. Information is given to guide firms desiring to tender. Offers to su~ply the goods r equired are dealt with by the Contracts Department of the Ministry of Supply. 
J~1ong the varied munition stores are : small bombs 1 fuses, primers, tracers., mnmuni tion boxes cordite drums, metal .. cardboard and wooden containers, bandoliers, ammunition belts , clips, grenades, metal letters and nurnerals, webbing, bags, tank spares, and searchlight parts. 
Firms desiring to see samples should write in the first instance to the Ministry of Supply Area Of':ficer at one of the addresses given, who will issue cards of admission. 
Ministry of Supply, Press Off'ice. 
5.12.39. 

The War Office, London, s.w, 1. 5th December, 1939. 
ROYJ)L__.Q_li_RJ;_§~~'_i;~§..._CARDS FOR ARMY l-1ND ROYAL AIR FORCE. 
The War Office and Air Ministry announce that Their Majesties the King and Queen have decided to send a Christmas card this year to all members of tht; Army and Ro;sral Air Force servin~ in France. A similar card will also be i ssued to all sick and wounded men in France, and t o those in hosnital in the UHited Kingdom who have served in France, to all members of flyinp-crews serving in o-i;ierational commands (i.e. Bomber, Fighter and Coastal) at home, and to British personnel serving with various missions. 
The cards will be issued to units through the normal supnl y arranre~ents in time for their distribution on 25th December. ... 
EMPIRE AFFAIRS, 5.12.39 No.23. 
CANADA IS MORE READY THAJ'.'J IN 1914. 
"Now the wild forces of passion and the lust for conquest and the imposition of a hateful creed and an alien system of life are loose in the world again, and we must meet the challenge". 
That Canada would meet this challenge with as much determination and with greater resources than in 1914 was the prophesy of Major-General A.G.L.McNaughton, G.O •. c .. when laying the foundation stone of the Sir Arthur Currie Gymnasium and Armoury, which commemorates Canada 's famous Corps Commander in the last war, at McGill University, Montreal~ 
"Our industries," he said "are many fold greater and more diversified than they were in 1914, and so we should have less difficulty in providing our weapons and war equipment. Our population is greater; we have had the benefit of the training given us by war experienced officers and many of these are available to help both in the field and, equally importantly, in the great tasks which must be carried out at home." 
"f:Jo my message to you to-day is one of quiet confidence. Our cause is j.ust; it is necessary to defend it by force of arms. Our resources are greater and our Allies, tried and true. 
------oOo-----­
t 
AIR MINISTRY BULLETIN. 
No.24. 
THE KING AND THE NATIONAL 'PIGEON SERVICE. 
The Air Ministry announces:­
His Majesty The King has accepted the badge of the National Pigeon Service which was recently estab1ished under the direction of the Air Ministry to enable the defence Services to make full use of the homing pigeon as a means of communication in peace and war. The badge to which all members of the National Pigeon Service are enti~led is enamelled in blue and surmounted by a gilt crown. t shows a pigeon at rest and bears the inscription 11 NATIONAL PIGEON SERVICE." 
His Majesty takes a keen interest in the work of the Service and from the Royal Loft at Sandringham the King's birds are daily sent out on war service. Important messages have already been received by their aid. A short while ago a British Dilot flying off the coast found himself running short of petrol. He released one of his pigeons which flew to the Royal Loft at Sandringham with a message. This wea duly telephoned to the pilot's base where arrangemei1ts were made at once to go to his assistance. The pilot managed to reach his aerodrome, but if as had seemed likely he had come down in the sea the pigeon might well have saved his life and the aircraft as well. 
The King has asked that a fortnightly report on the activities of his birds should be submitted to him. 
Each member of the National Pigeon Service contracts to lGan his birds for war work. The scheme is purely voluntary, but a grant of £5 a year is made by the Air Ministry to all fanciers in cases where ten or more of their birds are actually employed. There are already some 15,000 members, and the number of pigeons available for active service is approximately 750,000. More members are required and pigeon fanciers who are interested in this scheme should communicate with 
Mr . J. Selby Thomas, 22, Clarence Street, Gloucester 
who is the Secretary of the National Pigeon Se~vice Committee. 
------oOo-----­

FOR PRESS AND BROADCAST. 5/12/39 -No.25. 
HOME OFFICE ANNOUNCEMENT. 
Sir John Anderson, the Home Secretary, saw at the Home Office to-day a deputation consisting of Mr. Rhys Davies, Mr. Banfield and other members of Parliament, on the subject of night baking. They urged that night baking should be prohibited in view in particular of &eterioration of working conditions in bakehouses in consequence of black-out arrangements. The Home Secretary explained that prohibition. could not be achieved without legislation which would undoubtedly be controversial, and that so far as lJlack-out arrangements were concerned, be could not accept the position that these could not be achieved without creating unhealthy working conditions. He promised to take special steps through the factory department of the Home Office to see that the ventilat.ion in bakehouses was im~roved where necessary. 
Eo. 10 % 


Sir Ro~ert TRsker asked the 3ecrr::;t8ry of State for War 9 if, in visw of tne wi de-snrcad idea that the Territorial Army ended with th~ outbree.k of v:a -:: 9 he will i ssue a statr.;ment on the present position of thA Territorial Army; and if instructions have ~een i ssued that the l e 1ter T i s to be r emoved from the uniform worn by meio·1bers of the ';erritoria.l Ar my. 

the opi)ortun:!..t;y of ::lispelliLC a mi sconce;·) ti on. The 1'qrri torial Ar my did. riot .snd at tJ:L nu tb:r•u3_ 1 ·~ of vmr . On the contrar·y9 in accordance with the intenti 0n announced so~e ys ars BR0 9 a ll expo.nsion sinC'3 the war has be·.:;n b a sed on t he 'l'erri tririal J:. r my . M\.-::n who 9 sin~e the outbrr~ak of war 9 ll&ve volunteered for service for the d11ratil)[l of the war have bt=:;en enlisted into tne 'I1erritorial Army9 r,hile 3Ver;y" man called un for milit~nr service under the Nationol Ser7i ce (Armed Forces) f\ct 9 1939, ho.s b een deemed to have enlis1,,d in the Te rritorial Ar my. 
Ti11n 9 the Territorial Army does exist 9 but 9 in the oper ational rn:cessi ties of war9 · the whole of ths Forces must constitute om Army in which each individual is placed where his attai rnnents o.~e of gr~.::atest use to the nation. For this reason and t o avoid .1hvio11s Oll·~ward distinction in the Fiel d, it was decided to f31'3 T1end9 during war, tlle we.':~ring of the l e tter "T". 

.f:.~·~~-: ·~.i'~-r-__ +-!_1: _::'._'.__l___)i~~-~~_:r'__:~'~S!·_ l"'~:~.t~.§. asked the Se cretsry of state 
f or ..0.r~ v1hctlL· r l1e re . . dsf,8 tl1r_; disa.i:i-0ointrnent of candidates who 


career, any arr~TifGmcnts can be rn~de ta cover the neriod between the time when thc,y lu1ve c;cnool <rnrl the time when they will be called up fnr mi lit a ry trajning. 

oi' ''r.:~i!!f: tl-l(, ,..rrn;y· c:: c n ··>:-:r by cntcrirw one of the mj_li ts.ry colleges 

t he ape of :J or &s sn0n as ,ossible th0rsafter, instead of ha~ing 

'be nostcG. t o C1ti1s1· :rt.m1k Trainin£· Uni ts, anc1 9 after a period9 if they ar c rcco~rended, they wilJ. he sent to Officer Ca det Tr aining TJnits with a view t o ::.1n0oi~1tmi:..,nt to er0.1··gt;ncy commissions. After t he; ·..-·ar 9 tlFJSf, v:ho o.rc so DPl'ointcd will be elirible9 in comrwm 

Particulars of t he s cheme wi l l shortly be circulated to head.rna s ters and to parGnt or guar~1ians concerned. 

No . 8f1 x . 

In_ the House o:f Commons on '.l'u.es.da y.
-·--·-·...-----·-----·-·------·----··,·-·-·--·-·· . 
Mr. Sorensen asked thr:~ Secretary of State for War, whether he is aware t hat in the l ast war en extra r ent allowance of 3s. 6d. was autonatically paid to all soldiers' famili:;;s resident in towns; and vihcther he wi 11 consider makinp-the same arrangements 9 and also a sliding-scale special rent allowance on proof of rent paid. 
Wr. Rore-nelisha renlied'. Durinp the lnst war, an addition of sixpcnc'::; a doy was mo.de to the S '~pEtrati1·m t?llowance of f amilies who w...cri:!; resid:Lng in the Lon -:_011 Po~>tal Area Rnd.. not occupying public que;r·ters. The addi t. iorv::i.l ellm'.r8.nce was not given elsewhere. The mlni1num rate of ssnarati on allo~ance was then 9s. Od. a week. I n this war, the lowest rate of f amily allowance is 17s. Od. a weel{ . Provision hs.s alr•eudy been rna(le v1hereby claims arising out of such special circumstances as hi trh rent may be met by the grant of special financia l assi stance . Neverthel ess it is proDosed to pay an extra sixpence a day to soldiers' wives in the London Postal Area . 
URGENT. 
AIR MINISTRY BULLETIN 5/12/39 -No.29. 
WOMEN "FERRY" PILOTS FOR NEW R.A.F. AIRCRAFT. 
(Not to be quoted as an Air Ministry 
Announcement.) 

Under a scheme now launched by the Air Ministry, women pilots will be employed to "ferry" new R.A.F. aircra:ft o:f light training types from the factory where they are made to an 
aerodrome for storage, until they are required for service purposes. 
At the outset, it is contemplated that only eight women pilots will be employed. They will form a section of Air Transport Auxiliary Service under British Airways, Ltd. 
Miss Pauline Gower, daughter of Sir Robert Gower, M.P., has been appointed to take administrative charge of the section. 
A selection board5 of which Miss Go'IJver is a member, is now proceeding with the testing and selection o·f applicants for 
employment in this section. For the present, it is intended that the women pilots 
will "ferry" one type o,f aircraft only. There is, however, a possibility that the scheme will be extended at a later 
stage, and that other types will be similarly "ferried" from 
different factories, as the occasion arises. Salary will be paid to the women plus flying pay. It is hoped that the scheme will release men pilots for other 
duties. 
5/12/39 -No.30. 
French Official Communique (Even~. 
The following official communique was issued this evening by French G,H.Q: The enemy attempted a number of raids which all failed, -----oOo-----­

2.12.39 No.32. 
PRESS NOTICE, 
The Netherlands Government have expressed their gratitude for the splendid work in conne ction with the rescue of passengers and crew of the s.s. "Simon Bolivartr and the excellent care given to the survivors. They state "the heroic work done by officers and men of the Royal Navy and the magnificent rec~ption to survivors will not easily be forgotten". The Royal Netherlands Steamship Company also expressed their deep appreciation of the many services rendered by destroyers, mine sweepers and other vessels engaged in the same r escue work. 
ADMIRALTY, 5th December, 1939. -----oOo----­