The record-union., 1891-01-21
RECOMMENDED FOR PASSAGE.
The Bill to Provide for a State
Weather and Crop Service.
A Measure that is Expected to Result
In General Benefit to the va
rious Counties.

weather and crop service in the State of
California, for the purpose of cooperating
with the Signal Service of the United
States in the collection of climatic data,
and publishing the same for disseminat-
ing more speedily and thoroughly the
United States Signal Service weather
forecasts, storms and frost warnings, for
the benefit of the citizens of this State,
and to establish in each county one or
more meteorological stations.''
The author of the bill addressed the
committee, explaining the nature of its
provisions and the necessity therefor.
He called attention to the widespread in
terest that is already manifested in all
parts Of the Union in the dissemination
OF the limited information that is now
sent out from California regarding her
meteorology, climatic conditions and
crop reports, and prophesied that grand
results would follow if more thorough
system were adopted for informing the
people Of other States cn these subjects.
Signal Observer Barwick of this city
explained to the committee the details of
the present imperfect system of crops and
meteorological reports made public
through the Signal Service Bureau, and
reminded the committee of the fact that
California was far behind other states in
this particular, some twenty-five of them
having made provision for volunteer
system under the plan proposed by the
bill.
He said he was in constant receipt of
| letters of inquiry from people in other
States and countries who wished to be
fully informed in regard to the climate,
rainfall, crops, etc., OF California before
venturing to come here to locate homes.
ED +. Smith, Secretary of the State
Board of Agriculture, also addressed the
committee, at its request, on the subject.
lie spoke OF the great value of the mete-
geological department embraced in the
published reports Of the Agricultural So
ciety, as demonstrated by the vast num-
Der of inquiries made therefore from all
parts of the country. He held that the
information furnished by the weekly
crop report-meagcr as they had been
thus far, from tho hitherto lack of encour-
agement on the part OF the State TO vol
unteor Observers in the several counties
was OF great value to the commercial in
tereStS of the State, as a knowledge of the
condition OF the growing crops, from
week to week, enabled merchants to de-
termine the financial prospect OF their in
terror customers, and. thus regulate the
affairs between dealers and buyers. Busi-
ness failures and commercial surprises
We're thus avoided.
After brief remarks on the part of men,
bers Of the committee, it was decided to
report the bin TO the Assembly with the
recommendation that it pass The bill.
which is not only OF local but general in
terest, is as follows:
Section 1. There shall be and hereby is es-
tablshed in the State of California under the
supervision OF the Board of Directors of the
State Agricultural Society, a weather and crop
service to be officially known as the California
State Weather and Crop Service, cooperating
with the Signal Service of the United States
for the purpose of collecting crop statistics and
meteorological data, and more widely dissem-
mating the weather forecasts and storm and
frost warnings for the benefit of producers and
shippers OF perishable products and to pro-
mote q general knowledge of meteorological
science and the cliInatology of the State.
Section 2. The Central Station of said
weather and crop service shall be in the city
| OF Sacramento, under charge OF a Chief 81
rector, an Assistant Director, and q Sub
Director. The Chief Director to be the Secre-
tary of the state Agricultural Society the
Assistant Director to be an officer of the
United States Signal Service, who may be de-
tailed for that, purpose by the CHIEF Signal
Officer at Washington, ID. c., and the Sub-Di
rector to be the State Superintendent of Public
Instruction; and the County Superintendents
OF Public Schools in each of the counties, or
cities and counties, in this State shall be Sub
Directors of the California State Weather and
Crop Service for their respective counties or
cities and counties.
| Section 3. The Chief director, in coniunc-
ton with the Sub-Director of each county, or
city and county, in this State shall establish in
such county, OF city and county, one or more
! volunteer stations, not to exceed three in any
one county, or city and county, and shall APP
! point observers thereat, who shall make and
| note carefully daily observations of meteoro-
| logical events and crop conditions, according
| to blanks furnished to them for that purpose
and shall forward reports thereof to the Chief
Director Each teacher while actually engaged
in teaching i'll any of the public schools in this
State, shall, if so instructed to do by the Sub
| Director OF the county, or city and county, in
which said teacher may be so engaged in
teaching, make and note such daily obSerys-
tions OF meteorological events and crop condi-
tions as may be called for in blanks furnished
to said teacher by said Sub-Director, who shall
ward said reports to the Chief Director.
| Sec. 4. The Chief Director shall supervise
SAID volunteer stations, and, in conjunction
with the Assistant Director, shall tabulate the
records received therefrom, and from the Sub
Directors, for the permanent records; and
shall issue weekly weather and crop bulletin
1st of each year: and shall also edit and cause
10 be published, at the Office of the State
Printer, a monthly weather and crop review
containing meteorological and agricultural
matter of public interest and educational
value; and 1t shall be the duty of the State
| Printer to issue fifteen hundred copies thereof
| for distribution from the Office of the State
Agricultural Society; and the Chief Director
shall also prepare blank forms for all blanks
and circulars needed in securing reports rs
herein provided; and it shall be the duty of
the State Printer to print and deliver such
blanks and circulars to the Chief Director.
upon his requisition therefor; and the Chief
Director shall also compile and publish in
each annual report of the State Agricultural
Society complete review and summary of
| the years labor and observations drawn from
| the reports of the California State Weather
and Crop Service.
Section ). The Chief Director shall furnish
each volunteer observer with 81 set of meteor
illogical instruments, taking therefor his per-
sona1 bonds for the proper care, condition
and safe-keeping of said Instruments
Section g. The services of the Chief Di-
rector, Assistant Director. Sub-Directors vol
unteer observers, and teachers in preparing.
furnishing, tabulating, and editing the blanks
summaries herein provided for shall be with
out compensation or expense to the State of
California.
Section T. There shall not be paid to anv
one out of the moneys of the State which NAV
hereafter be appropriated to the use or benefit
of the California State Weather and Crop
Service, any part thereof, except for the pIlr-
pose of paying the necessary expenses of the
Chief Director in establishing the volunteer
keeping in repair all necessary meteorological
Instruments TO be used at the volunteer sta
tions herein provided for for clerical hire not
TO exceed the sum OF 100 per month, and for
stationery not TO exceed the sum of S1O0 per
year.
Section 8. All appropriations hereafter
made by the State for the use or benefit of the
California State Weather and Crop Service
shall be made to the State Agricultural So
Weather and Crop Service, and shall be ex-
pended by the State Agricultural Society in
strict conformity with the provisions of Sec
ton 2 of this Act.