1922. | 



Reductions in Railway Rates. 



445 



tion. I may say, however, that the Air Ministry issues daily 

 by means of wireless telegraphy a number of weather reports 

 which could be of considerable use to agriculturists, and with 

 a view to meeting the case of agriculturists and others possess- 

 ing, or about to instal wireless receiving apparatus, a pamphlet 

 giving particulars regarding these messages and instructions as 

 to their reception and utilisation has been prepared and will 

 be issued in the course of a few days. In addition, the pre-War 

 arrangement by which afternoon forecasts were issued during 

 the harvest season was extended two years ago, so as to enable 

 a farmer, on payment of the cost of telegraphing, to obtain 

 a special forecast at any time which suited his individual need." 



The Journal Officiel for the 29th June, 195*2, contains a 

 description of the system of distribution of weather forecasts 

 by wireless telephone which is now being started in France. 

 Three times daily the Eiffel Tower broadcasting station in 

 Paris will send out a forecast of the weather for the same day 

 and the next day. Communes (roughly corresponding to urban 

 or rural districts in this country) may instal at the public cost 

 a receiving apparatus in a school, police station or at the home 

 of some chosen person, and the messages, which will be re- 

 ceived at fixed hours each day, will be communicated in the 

 district by the ringing of a bell — no ringing if there is no 

 change of weather, three strokes to announce rain, six to 

 announce frost, ten to announce storms or hail. The messages 

 can be received by an extremely simple apparatus, the cost 

 of which, including installation, is not expected to exceed 

 200 francs (about £4 at the present rate of exchange) and the 

 French Meteorological Office has prepared a pamphlet for those 

 who wish to make the apparatus themselves. 



Arrangements were made for the distribution of the forecasts 

 to begin on the 15th July. The messages will at present be 

 received only within a distance of about 310 miles from Paris, 

 but arrangements are being considered for distributing the fore- 

 casts in the rest of the country by means of district stations. 



****** 



REDUCTIONS IN RAILWAY FREIGHT 

 CHARGES. 



The Railway Clearing House has issued a circular, dated 

 12th July, indicating the reductions in Railway Rates for 

 Traffic conveyed by merchandise trains, which become opera- 

 tive on and from 1st August, 1922. The following extract from 



