Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-23

On the first day of next month the weather
bureau will cease to be an attachment of the
signal service Of the army and will be trans
ferred almost in its entirety to the fostering
care OF the Department Of Agriculture. This
transfer Is In accordance with the act of Con-
gress approved October /, 1890, entitled sAn
act to increase the efficiency and reduce the
expenses OF the signal corps Of the army, and
to transfer the weather service to the Depart
ment Of Agriculture.
This act provides that the civilian duties now
performed by the signal corps of the army
shall hereafter devolve upon a bureau to be
known as the weather bureau, which, on and
after July /, 1891, shall be established in and
attached to the Department of Agricul-
ture, and the signal corps of the army shall re-
main part of the military establishment un-
der the direction of the Secretary Of War and
all estimates for its support shall be included
with other estimates for the support Of the
military establishment
THE CHIEF SIGNAL OFFICER.
The chief signal officer, Gen. A. ". Greedy.
is TO continue to have charge of all military
signal duties the operations Of his corps being
confined to strictly military matters.
and he is to be relieved of all re-
sponsibility SO far as the changes
in the weather are concerned unless the Presi-
dent may see fit, as he is authorized to do. to
detail him to take charge of the weather bu-
reau. In case a new chief is to be appointed
he will be a civilian at q salary of "a, 500 a
year. but it is in the discretion of the
President to detail not more than four officers
OF the army, expert in weather forecast, to do
duty with the weather bureau.
officials at the Agricultural Department
what action he intends to take in
the matter nor has the question been
seriously discussed at the department, for
the transfer has not yet been made and the
whole matter is being kept in allegiance there
OF any sort have yet been made nor have
any been considered as yet ard in point OF
fact there are not many to make.
MEN MAY BE TRANSFERRED.
The act Of transfer contains q clause to the
effect that the enlisted force of the signal corps
excepting those otherwise provided for. shall
be honorably discharged from the army on
June 80, 1891, and such portion of this entire
force. including the civilian employees Of the
signal service may be necessary for the
proper performance of the duties of the weather
bureau shall, ii they choose, be transferred to
the Department of Agriculture The
compensation of the force SO transferred
is to continue the same as it may be on the
3Oth OF June. until otherwise provided by
law, provided that skilled observers serving in
The signal service at that date shall be entitled
to preference over persons not in the signal
service for appointment in the weather bureau
TO places for which they may be qualified until
the expiration Of the time for which they were
enlisted.
THE WEATHER BUREAUS HOME.
The buildings now occupied by the signal
service at the corner of oath and NJ streets are
to be the property Of the weather bureau as
well as all the machinery, instruments, books
and other equipments that belong more prop
erly to weather bureau work.
The board Of three officials appointed by the
President to take stock in the buildings and de-
eide what belonged to each branch completed
their work last week and upon their report TO
the Secretary of War the transfer is
to be made. 1t il intended that
hereafte: the weather bureau shall be espe-
cially developed and extended in the interests
of agriculture The appropriation made for
the bureau under the new regime is in all
ss7972S
Gen. Greedy has taken for the use Of the sig
nal service the building on the northwest cor
ner of 18th street and Pennsylvania avenue.
formerly occupied by the Yves. End National
Bank