A.—sc.

of suitable areas of land, including Crown land. It is contemplated also that arrangements should be made to enable as many persons as possible to spend their holiday-time on journeys by train or boat. The question has been discussed of providing a sufficient supply of suitable trained persons to look after the home during the absence of the housewife on holiday. Belgium.—A Belgian Royal Order of 7th May, 1937, provides for the establishment of a National Office for Workers' Holidays for the purpose of assisting the workers and their families to organize their holidays. Together with the competent Department, the new Office will establish the conditions and methods in which the State may intervene with a view to the establishment or arrangement of holiday centres, holiday homes, youth hostels, camping zones, and the general development of lodging facilities. The Office will also promote and encourage schemes initiated by private organizations, trade-unions, travel associations, &e., interested in people's holidays. It has been arranged that workers and salaried employees and their families (if travelling together) are entitled to the following reduction 011 the railways : — 25 per cent, for journeys of less than 100 kilometres. 35 per cent, for journeys of 100 to 300 kilometres. 50 per cent, for journeys of over 500 kilometres. These reductions are available once a year between Ist April and 31st October for workers travelling third class. Provision is also made for a 50-per-cent. reduction for workers travelling in groups. The National Federation of Auto-car and Auto-bus Owners has asked its members to transport groups of workers at the rate of 10 centimes per kilometre for each passenger, provided that the journey is not less than 150 kilometres, that 90 per cent, of the available seats are taken, and that such arrangements are not made during rush periods. The Government have arranged for a number of hotels and boardinghouses to grant reduced prices. , The foregoing privileges are granted to workers in undertakings employing at least ten persons and in certain others employing less than ten persons ; and to certain salaried employees considered to be in modest circumstances. Persons desiring to benefit from the privileges must be in possession of a holiday-card obtained from the Post Office. The issue of cards is subject to close official check. Estonia.—As from Ist June, 1937, the Estonian State Railways have granted a reduction of 50 per cent, of the fare to workers on holidays with pay when travelling to and from their holiday resorts. This reduction applies throughout the year. . . Germany. —Germany is not now a member of the International Labour Organization, but is developing facilities for the better utilization of workers' spare time to a greater extent than in other countries The work is carried 011 through a subsidiary organization of the German Labour Front known as the " Strength through Joy Movement." The following is an extract from a German official report discussing the scope of the Movement: " The territorial structure of Strength through Joy comprises 32 regional, 800 district, 18,000 local, and 70,096 works units. Its activity is directed by six offices, dealing respectively with travel, evening leisure, sport, popular education, the beauty of labour, and soldiers gollemes organ i ze a by the Travel Excursion and Holidays Office covered 2,000,000 persons in 1934, 3,000,000 in 1935, and 6,000,000 in 1936. Its sea voyages are a characteristic feature. The Organization is about to build its own fleet of steamers, some of which have been completed or are building ; these will take thousands of employed persons to the Tokio Olympic Games in 1940. Further, by agreement with the Italian Dopolavoro, winter cruises in the Mediterranean will be organized. Seaside resorts are being prepared at the same time, particularly on the Baltic and North Sea islands. The Organization is building a large hotel on the Island of Riigen with over 4,000 beds. In all, states the report, 174 million marks will be spent on cruises and seaside resorts. " Evening Leisure : The principal activity of the Evening Leisure Office consists in the organization of theatre-going (opera, comic opera, comedy, variety, &c.) and visits to concerts. The organization has acquired or is subsidizing several large popular theatres— the Berlin Munich, and Breslau People's Theatres, the Berlin People's Opera, &c. Further, the Office has concluded agreements with most of the other theatres under which unsold seats may be acquired in blocks by the organization and passed 011 to members at low prices. The organization filled 4,060,670 seats in theatres and 1,635,598 at concerts in 1936. " Sport ■ The essential feature of the Popular Sports' Scheme is organization by the employing unit; owing to the encouragement of the Sports Office, gymnasiums, swimmingpools and recreation and sports grounds have been built by a considerable number of industrial undertakings ; 6,356,266 persons took part in the various sports organized by Strength through Joy in 1936. " Popular Education : The Office has established over three hundred popular education centres, the principal activities of which are the organization of lectures, groups for painting, modelling wood-carving and photography, classes in foreign languages, visits to museums and cities, in charge of "qualified guides, visits to factories, exhibitions, &c. The number ol persons making use of the various facilities provided by the Education Office was seven and Labour : This Office, says the report, puts the fundamental idea of Strength through Joy into efiect in the undertaking where the worker spends the greatest and most valuable part of his life. Since 1934, 1,000 halls, 3,000 canteens, 3,500 gardens mside works, 200 swimming-pools, and 1,500 dressing-rooms, bathrooms, &c., have been built or reconstructed. The sums spent 011 this work in recent years have been as follows : 12,505,269 marks in 1934, 89,389,398 marks in 1935, and 79,288,498 marks in 1936."

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