JUNE 18.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1781

Notice to Mariners No. 19 of 1931.

Marine Department, Wellington, N.Z., 10th June, 1931.

THE following revision of Admiralty Notice to Mariners No. 12 of 1930,
which has been received from the Admiralty, London, is published for general
information.

G. C. GODFREY, Secretary.

ADMIRALTY NOTICE No. 12 OF 1930.

BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS MESSAGES TO MERCHANT SHIPS.
Former Notices.—Nos. 12, 547, and 1717 of 1930 ; hereby cancelled.

Mariners are informed that arrangements have been made for broadcasting
by W/T, messages considered to be of sufficient importance to communicate to all
British Merchant Ships in any part of the world.

The scheme for broadcasting messages of interest to Merchant Ships under the
arrangements promulgated herein will not be in operation continuously. It will, however,
be introduced for trial purposes for one week on 1st January and 1st July each
year.

During these test periods brief messages will be issued by the Admiralty to all
British Merchant Ships, and by the Naval Authorities responsible for the respective
areas shown in the Schedule to British Merchant Ships in those areas. These "test"
messages will not, however, be broadcast by the 500 kc/s (600 metres) Stations shown
in the Schedule, nor will Rugby broadcast on Sundays during the test periods.

Should it be desired to send a message of special importance to British Merchant
Ships, at any time outside the periods fixed for trial purposes, the scheme will be brought
into operation temporarily for this purpose.

If and when such occasion arises to bring the organization into force, either
generally or in any particular area, messages notifying the operation of the scheme will
be issued by the Admiralty and/or by the Naval Authority responsible for the area
or areas concerned. When such messages are necessary every available means of reaching
Merchant Ships will be employed—i.e. the messages will be broadcast not only by Rugby
and the other Stations at the times shown in the Schedule, but also where Stations
included in the scheme transmit navigational warnings, weather reports, &c., at routine
periods, messages notifying the commencement of the scheme will be broadcast during
those periods. Such messages will bear the address "All British Merchant Ships" or
"British Merchant Ships in........area," in full; the use of the call
signs mentioned in the scheme will commence when the scheme is brought into force.

The procedure outlined in this scheme is not intended to interfere with or replace
existing arrangements for broadcasting to Merchant Ships messages concerning navigational dangers, weather reports, or gale warnings. Where routine arrangements exist
for broadcasting such messages, those arrangements will continue in force.

The following are the arrangements which have been made for the operation of the
scheme :—

1. The world has been divided into certain areas (vide chart appended) and collective call signs have been introduced for (i) all British Merchant Ships, and (ii) British
   Merchant Ships in a particular area. These call signs are as shown in the following
   table :—

2. Messages under this scheme will be broadcast from :—
   (a) Rugby W/T Station on 16 kc/s (18,740 metres) at 0000 and 1200 G.M.T.,
   immediately preceding the British Official Wireless News.
   (b) Certain medium and high power W/T Stations abroad operating on waves
   between 150 kc/s (2,000 metres) and 100 kc/s (3,000 metres) at 0400 and
   1600 G.M.T.
   (c) Certain W/T Stations operating commercial traffic on 500 kc/s (600 metres)
   at any time.

3. A list of the Stations included in the scheme showing the areas for which they
   will transmit and the wave lengths on which messages will be broadcast is shown in the
   Schedule. The times 0400 and 1600 G.M.T. have been fixed for transmissions from