New-York tribune., 1889-11-07
GENERAL GREELYS REPORT.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE YEARLY WORK OF
THE SIGNAL SERVICE.
MORE TIME NEEDED For FORECAST OFFICERS

MORE TIME NEEDED FOR FORECAST OFFICERS
COLD WAVE s-RECoMMENDATIoNs
Washington. Nov. G.-The report OF General A. W.
Dreey. Chief Signal Officer Of the Army TO Secretary
PROCTOR VI the operations of the signal Service FOR
.he year ended june 30, 1889 has been made pnbllc
General Greely says: The Chief Signal Officer OF
Ihe army Is embarrassed by utter lack OF facilities
ior training and drilling the officers and enlisted men
Vi The signal Corps, and by the need OF liberal ap
IiOpratioEs Under such conditions the officers and
men Of this service gradually but surely retro
grazing as regards their military duties. lie recon-
mends therefore, either that instruction In the art
OF military signalling be abandoned or ample material
aad moral support given the Chief that he NAV
ra.sc II to higher standard OF edclcncy.'
Speaking Of weather forecasts, General Greedy calls
attention to the fact that under present conditions
The forecast officer devote barely half minute 10
all the predictions for any particular state or dis
tfict. The demand for weather forecasts is cCntin
uaiy Increasing, and they are approaching In value
IN The estimation Of the public. During the year
i,odo storm signals Of all kinds ordered, of
which $50 were wholly and "a patty justified as 10
velocity, and $50 justified as to direction.
ihe cold wave signals increase rapidly In efficiency
and value. In the last year less than six per cent
OF cold waves occurred east of the Mississippi, and
IL per cent west, without the display of signals while
IN iormer years over 10 per cent occurred without
forecasts. General Gr2ely says: "While this office
was enabled TO forecast from twelve to twenty four
hours in advance. the severe and destructive floods
which occurred at the end of May, 1885, In Pennsyl-
vana, Maryland, Western New-York and West vir-
gnia. yet had a complete river and food service,
sutpemented by rainfall stations. been In operation,
IL would have resulted In more definite forecasts and
consequent great benefit TO the general public"
IN conclusion, General Greely says:
inc reorganization and reduction OF the signal corps
economy. Instead of twenty Officers now authorized
oy law duties could be performed by thirteen, provided
they were cCmpctcnt.p
URGING RELIEF FOR THE SUPREME COURT.
Washington. Nov. 6. Edward Otis Hnlley, of Balti-
more, secretary Of the American Bar Association and
j. Hnbey Ashton. Of Washington. delivered TO Presi-
dent Harrison today letter prepared by committee
IN behalf Of the association, setting forth the great
accumulation Of the business OF the United States
supreme Court and urging the necessity for the en-
acment OF some measure Of relief Secretary Hinkley
requested that the President should call the attention
OF Congress to the subject in his forthcoming annual
message. The President answered: THAT l will
dO'
The committee. after showing how great has been the
increase in recent years in the number OF cases be-
fore the Supreme Court, adds:
Experience has shown that between four hundred and
five hundred In each year IS The utmost that court
OF nine us can properly dispose OF also iacr that
number Of judges would add but rather diminish.
the efficiency Of the court in that regard The problem then
Is to select TIE four five hundred to winnow from
the OF appeals those which may from those which
may De carried the highest court in the country
Repeated efforts have been made both in and out Of Con-
provide the relief urgently needed both by the
Supreme and Inferior Federal courts but hitherto with
In legislation o; the different plans proposed
In the various bills before Congress- that general plan
which contemplated the creation of intermediate appellate
been approved by the American Bar Assoca-
tlon as promising the largest Of relief for all
the United States courts
The committee that prepared the letter con
sisted OF David Dndley Field. of NewN Ork, chairman
Henry Hitchcock. of ST. Louis president OF the as
sOcia tom William Allen Butler OF New York Thomas
j. ScmmeS, Of New Orleans; J. Randolph Tucker, OF
Virginia Francis Rawle, OF Philadelphia; Edward OTIS
Hinl,ey. of baltimore; Walter b. Iiill, OF Georgia;
George H. Bates of Delaware, and j. IIubey Ashton,
OF Washington