The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-01-29
METEOROLOGY.

NJ
Slowly the facts are being gathered and
classified which will some time give us
our Signal Bureau for il years show that
most of the storms originate west of the
Mississippi River and east of the Rocky
Mountains, and pass in northeasterly di-
rection across the country and the ocean to
Europe, until dissipated by encountering
range of mountains NTheir advent is pre-
coded by low barometer, which indicating
where the pressure is higher. The "low
area" is usually several hundred miles in
is not moving When the storm is moving
the sides of the low area are pressed in until
its shape becomes nearly oval. The average
time required for storm to travel from
the Mississippi River to New York is "a
hours and il takes "a hours more to go from
New York to Newfoundland. Two or
three times during each Summer heavy
storms develop in the Gulf of Mexico, and
cross the country in northeasterly direction.
The "cold wave" is great river of cold air,
which rolls down from British America,
entering the United States somewhere be-
tween the Rocky Mountains and Lake Supe-
rior, and spreading out rs it passes south
and east. 1t moves at about the same rate
of speed as the southwestern storms and
takes about "a hours to 60 from st. Paul to
the coast. Queerly enough the warm weather
comes from the same direction. The reason
for this is hardly guessed at yet but as the
circle of observation widens, so as to take in
more of the world, the philosophy of the
thing will become known. We also know
that the average of temperature, rainfall,
etc, remains the same from year to year, in
spite of apparently great deviation. An I'M
usually long and severe cold spell at one
period is followed by counterbalancing
hot period. Scanty rain and snowfall at
one time are always equalized by heavy
| precipitation at another.
These are the foundation facts upon which
we arc beginning the construction of a
science by which we can reasonably hope to
forecast the weather as accurately as we can
calculate the march of an army.
TIE PROBLEM OF MUNICIPAL GOV
ERNMENT.
There is not the slightest doubt that, for
the government of Nation and its sub
divisions down to a city, our system is the
best by far yet devised by man. But it is
grave question whether it is well calculated
for ruling great municipalities The scan
dals connected with the administration of
municipal affairs in New York, Philadelphia,
Brooklyn, Chicago, Cincinnati St. Louis,
etc. are proof to many that the time is near
at hand when there will have to be radical
change in the form of municipal Govern
ments, and the reformation be attende with
much turbulent resistance German pub
licists say that we make a grave mistake in
allowing non-property- holders to vote taxes
on property holders and to handle and dis
burse the proceeds of said taxes. They have
this matter carefully arranged in Germany,
as they do everything. Every man who has
arrived at the age of "a is allowed to vote
on municipal matters. PrOrided: He has
not received aims from the public for IL
years; that he occupies house or pursues
a trade, or that he pays an income or class
tax. But the votes do not all count alike
by any means. The amount of taxes paid
determines the importance Of the taxpayer
| Mt the ballot-box. A small number Of the
richest men in each city, who together pay
one-third of its taxes, are classed together
and given the privilege of eleeting AZ MEM
| bers of the City Council; another class of
less rich men, who together pay another
third Of the taxes, is formed, who elect an
| other az members oil the Council. The
remainder of the voters elect the remaining
| DE- Councillors, so that each class is repre-
scented in the City Government in proper