Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-04
THE WEATHER BUREAU.
Its Proposed Transfer to the Agricul-
tural Department.


tural Department.
WHAT GEN. aREELY SAYS OF THE PRESIDENT
REcoNMENDATIoS-THE BUREAU WILL COST
MORE IF TRASsFERRED-THE SYSTEM Is HErERo-
GENEoUs AND SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE.
The President, in his annual message to Con-
gross, which was printed IN The STAR yester-
day. recommends the transfer of the weather
bureau from the signal service to the Agricul-
tural department While this recommendation
surprised good many people, coming from
the President, the proposition is by
no means a new one. for there have
been numerous efforts made in years
gone by to this same end. To STAR reporter
who called on him this morning Gen. Greedy.
the chief signal officer. talked quite freely in
regard to the recommendation.
GEN. GREEDY NOT SURPRISED.
| He said he was not surprised at all, for he
has been preparing for some such proposition,
and, in fact, will in short time
! be ready to submit to Congress full
information regarding the work of his service,
both in its military and civil features, and with
especial reference to the effect of a transfer.
You are aware, of course" he said "that
| there is a difference between a recommended
| ton and legislation. We in Washington. some
You may remember that General Grant
who probably had more influence
with his Congresses than any other President,
besides being the leader Of his own party,
strongly urged that this service be given
strictly military organization, and nothing was
done. There have been u good many attempts
to nix this system on definite basis, but this
has never been accomplished and today the
service Is heterogeneous, composed
of several different elements without
/ binding effective L
often endeavored to have something done, and
last year a bill was introduced to perfect the
system, but it did not pass.
THE SENATE AGAINST THE HOUSE.
at is interesting to note, in connection with
the Presidents recommendation, that at the
last session the Senate voted down PROPOSE
ton to transfer the weather bureau to the Agri-
cultural department by the striking majority of
50 to g. 1t was one OF the most decisive express
slons OF opinion that has ever come from the
Senate. On the other hand the House has on
two separate occasions voted in favor OF a
transfer. So that here we have the President
and the House, provided that the change of
politics in that body has not changed its senti-
ment also, pltted against the Senate. Perhaps
the Senate may resent an attempt to force it to
agree to legislation that has already received
such decided setback by its body.
HE WELCOMES THE RECOMMENDATION.
81 welcome the recommendation because it
gives promise that this question, which has
never been definitely determined, may now
receive proper attention and cause such a
general debate as will result in fna
settlement of the point under consideration
bill will most likely be introduced to test the
question. am in just this position in regard
to the transfer: III the President, Senate and
House desire 1t, l am perfectly willing to hav
1T done, provided it is done properly. In max
ing the change there are a great many
DIFFICULT PROBLEMS
that will have to be solved. In the first place
it must be borne in mind that in the weather
service more than almost any other bureau
under the government success depends upon
the element of personality. The service must
same ratio that we have good or
poor servants. There is nothing that
can take the place OF the personal
judgment of the weather prognosticator This
fact must have a strong bearing on the case.
for in the event of transfer to a civil basis it
will be necessary to secure the services of a
number of civilians who will have to be paid
large salaries in order to induce them to re-
main. We have already felt the
EFFECT OF INSUFFICIENT APPROPRIATIONS
for this purpose in the loss of two of the best
meteorologists in the country, whose services
were almost invaluable. II they are not paid
more money they go some where
else. The transfer would involve
an additional expense to the govern
ment of from 100000 to $4,000
annually. Part Of this would come from the
extra money that would have to be paid to
civilians in the place of the army officers now
on duty here. large part would come from
the money that would have to be expended to
compensate the men ON outside stations
for extra duty ON the basis of
the eight-hour law. At present the
the minimum days labor for signal man on
weather station Is twelve and one-half hours
and the average is about fourteen hours. The
salary list of observers would be increased fully
1875 per cent, for where one man is now
stationed there would be two REQUIRED
under the civil rule. Telegraph opera
tors. now enlisted, would have to be
paid regular commercial salaries; printers,
whom we now enlist, would become members
of the typographical union and would swell
the expenses OF the service wonderfully
A GENERAL REIMBURSEMENT WOULD BE NEcEs-
SARY.
The transfer could not be made at once 1t
would have to be matter of long time, for
there is now no line Of sharp demarcation be-
tween the weather service and the strictly sig
nal service. A great many men are engaged in
both duties, and in order to divorce the two
there would have to be general
readjustment that would be the work of MANY
months. The main thing to be considered is
the fact that civilian experts on weather are
few and far between, that they can be hired
only on high salaries, and that without them
a civil weather bureau would not be a success,
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