a comment in France rules can be removed

[Alois Treindl]

Among the tzdata rules for France one finds these lines:

# DSH writes that a law of 1923-05-24 specified 3rd Sat in Apr at 23:00 
to 1st
# Sat in Oct at 24:00; and that in 1930, because of Easter, the transitions
# were Apr 12 and Oct 5.  Go with Shanks & Pottenger.
Rule  France  1922    1938    -       Oct     Sat>=1  23:00s  0       -
Rule  France  1923    only    -       May     26      23:00s  1:00    S
Rule  France  1924    only    -       Mar     29      23:00s  1:00    S
Rule  France  1925    only    -       Apr      4      23:00s  1:00    S
Rule  France  1926    only    -       Apr     17      23:00s  1:00    S
Rule  France  1927    only    -       Apr      9      23:00s  1:00    S
Rule  France  1928    only    -       Apr     14      23:00s  1:00    S
Rule  France  1929    only    -       Apr     20      23:00s  1:00    S
Rule  France  1930    only    -       Apr     12      23:00s  1:00    S

I have done some source research, and the law of 1923-05-24 really 
states that. My own translation of the text is:
---- begin quote
Article 1
The legal time fixed by the law of 1911 Mar 9 shall each year, following 
the practical details as given in articles 2,3 and 4, be advanced by 
sixty minutes, at 23 hours on each last Saturday of March, until the 
first Saturday of October at 24 hours. But in the case of an 
understanding with allied neighbour nations, the goverment can shift the 
first date to the third Saturday of April, and the second date to the 
third Saturday of September.
--- end quote
This law was not modified until 1939-09-26. But in practice it was not 
followed regarding the begin dates. The government issued a decret each 
year, where it fixed the dates for the particular year.

I searched the 'Bulletin des lois de la République française' which are 
accessible in in digital form via the Bibliotheque National at 
http://gallica.bnf.fr up to 1931.

As an example, I attach the décret for 1930. I think translation isnot 
needed.

 From what I have seen as sources between 1916 and 1938, so far, I can 
confirm that Henri Le Corre is precise and correct, regarding dates and 
times of change.

I can also confirm the '24 hours' always means the end of the day, if a 
document states something like 'on date X at 24 hours'. Later versions 
of the décrets are explicit, like the one attached, by saying 'at twenty 
four hours in the night from 4th to 5th October'.

I think the comment currently in the list of Rules, regarding DSH and 
1930, can be removed, as Le Corre has been established as reliable for 
DST rules during this period up to at least 1938.


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