There are two connections to the Minister of Transport, Leslie Hore-Belisha, with this card.
The first is the long black and white striped pole, topped with a round yellow lamp, which shows, day and night, the location of a pedestrian crossing where traffic are obliged to stop and allow you to walk across the road - because they are known, after him, as Belisha Beacons.
The second will only be seen if you have the official album in which the cards were stored, for he wrote the foreword to it. In case you do not have an album for your set, this reads :
Parliaments may make Statutes and Ministers may make Regulations, but individuals make roads safer by carefulness and courtesy. The Highway Code is the traveller's code of honour. It reminds him that all persons have an equal right to use the highway and that good manners and consideration for others are as important on the road as in the drawing room. Sound knowledge of proper behaviour on the road, as set out in the Highway Code, is just as important to the pedestrian as to the motorist.
Anyone who spreads knowledge on this subject is helping in a national cause; and I am out to encourage all who keep the public interested in this matter whether they are public bodies or, as in this instance, a private firm. I wish every success to the "Safety First" series of cigarette cards which show pictorially and vividly how often accidents occur from disregard of the Highway Code; and I welcome the more as the cards will be disseminated among the children, who are unhappily all too frequently numbered among the victims of road accidents.
Signed: Leslie Hore-Belisha"
If you are not a car person, may we also point out that this set also covers advice for bicycles, and pedestrians
This set made its first appearance in part four of our original Wills booklets, where there may not be much of a set description, but it is revealed that there were five different versions. The text reads :
321. SAFETY FIRST. Fronts printed by letterpress in colour. Backs in grey, with descriptive text. Issued 1934-1935.
A. Home issue, adhesive backs headed "This surface is .... " Special album issued
B. Irish issue, adhesive backs headed "Note - This surface ...." Special album issued.
C. New Zealand issue, non-adhesive backs headed "Issued by W.D. & H.O. Wills (N.Z.) Ltd., in support of New Zealand`s Road Safety Campaign.
D. South African issue, non-adhesive backs. "C.T. Ltd." at base, otherwise anonymous.There is an anonymous series of 40 of the same title, but entirely different subjects.
The Home issue of this set was issued in December 1934, and replaced the first series of “Radio Celebrities” which had been going since August. It then ran right to April 1935 - and may have run even longer, but it was replaced by “The Reign of King George V”, issued specifically in order to celebrate the Silver Jubilee.
We know that in the Irish issue three texts are different - on cards 13,14, and 16. Not sure what the difference is, but one day I will find out. Do help if you can.
The South African issue, by “C.T. Ltd” was issued in 1936 through British American Tobacco.
As for the anonymous issue, this was actually issued some time before any of ours, in 1931, in Malaya and the Channel Islands, again by British American Tobacco, and it is catalogued in our reference book to their cards, RB.21, as :
SAFETY FIRST. Small cards, size 68 x 36 m/m. Front in colour. Back in grey, with descriptive text. Numbered series of 40. Anonymous issue, with letterpress on back.
Returning to our version, there is a curiosity in our original World Tobacco Issues Index, because section 5.B of the Wills issues is for "English Language issues 1923-30. Issued chiefly in New Zealand, some series in Malaya, Malta, and elsewhere." However our set is not amongst them, it is on a separate section all on its ownsome, catalogued as :
5.C English Language Issues, 1934. Back inscribed "W.D. & H.O. Wills (N.Z.) Ltd." and "Capstan" Cigarettes. Issued in New Zealand.
SAFETY FIRST. Sm. Nd. (50) See W/321.C ... W62-487.
I am not sure why this was not included in section 5.B, which could easily have been re-dated to go up to 1935 - especially as section 5.D is entitled "English Language issues 1935-39".
And it remains stoved off like this in the updated World Tobacco Issues Index too, where the text is exactly the same, but a new code has been generated.
I would be interested to hear other people`s thoughts on this.