Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-02-28
xu,rr,r, I,,or ATCH-SONDAI. FnDnUAnI 20. -

.,h i;rex in the whole United otstes.
M ri these amounts eppropIiaten ~
Targreas are paid the salary OF tno ~
s~,.xsr In charge OF Lynchburg and Ms
.Is,t Office rent, telegraph service nj
,nst,uments now in use, postage, en-
velopes. blank forms. etc, wnicn eAcceu s
now "a. 500, and will be very inucn iarge'
when we get the $1,000 asked ior 20 cA'
tend and perfect the WORK OF inc se ,,',, =;
tb,s thousand dollars shall be used Tor
salaries. Office rent, etc. and that only SO
much sbali be used for tho purchase OF
;ntrunents and publication as may be
found necessary from year TO year.
II must be borne III mind that this IS
Labor OF love" with the director OF the
service and all the observers who are vol
unteers undertaking this work pro bono
p,tblico, believing that the DEMENT'S when
they will personally derive and the infor-
nation received By them will prove. like
virtue. its own reward. Now we are
estopped in our work for tho want of adj
ditlonal means, and we simply ask the
Legislature to give US this $1,000 that
these benefits may be extended 10 all the
people of the State, and greater benefits
even, by perfecting and enlarglng the
work.
But IL the state of the treasury Will not
justify this appropriation, then, we ask
that you pass the bill simply authorizing
the State Board of Agriculture TO carry on
the work, using any money whlch may pc
at its command for this purpose. II the
fertilizer control bill. of which Mr. kolner
is the patron in the House. is passed. the
chances are that we shall be able TO save
money enough from the 1914 cents per ton
TO run the weather service.
60 In conclusion, permit me 10 state
briefly the benefits which We expect TO de-
rive from the operations of this bit: ,
/. In general terms 1t may be stated
broadly that the weather exerts a doml-
mating influence upon the health ana every
material interest of the people.
2. Possibly the farmer IS more dependent
upon weather conditions for success IN his
business than any other class. Ills every.
dav operations are absolutely controlled
by il. IL knowledge Is power IN ordinary
business. then foreknowledge OF the wea-
Their is greater power, because he can take
advantage of all the varying conditions.
When we consider the contingency OF
foo Is, frosts, storms, droughts, &C., and
that under all these conditions not only
his crops. but his stock also. must suffer
if not be absolutely destroyed. how I'M
portant IL becomes tor him 10 DC 1ore-
warned of approaching danger.
D.
demand information upon these subjects.
The commercial and manufacturing inter
ests have been 50 impressed with the value
and importance of information upon these
subjects that the chambers or commerce
and boards of trade in all the large cities
have their own means of obtaining the
earliest and most reliable reports for their
own special use. Not only does cotton.
tobacco, corn, wheat, pork. &c, go up ana
down with the weather, but the prices oi
manufactured products, railway stock ana
bonds. and the exchanges OF the whole
civilized world are affected by meteoro-
logical conditions.
Note the wonderful influence exerted
upon every interest of civilized man 10y
the drought In Russia last year. The ex-
istence of well-organize1 weather bureau
extending throughout the vast domlnlons
of the Car would have made known the
condition of things eight months ago.
which would have obviated tho direful et-
fects of the pestilencc ana famine when
are devastating the empire.
4. Numerous instances can be cited IN
this country where millions OF dollars nave
been saved 10 growers OF tobacco. trucks
and the stock -ralsers upon the plains by
timely warnings sent out by the depart
ment of impending disaster. Yet TINS ser
vice Is but in its infancy.
5. With such favor IL this work regarded
by the intelligent people OF this country
that the New York Herald and Tribune. the
Commercial Garlic Of Cincinnati, the st.
Louis Globe, and other papers. maintain a
weather department OF their own, WITH
meteorological editors, who supplement-
the general predictions OF the united
States service with special prognostlca-
tions tor the country Immediately ada
cent TO those cities, The testimony OF
business-m men is that these reports alone
are worth many times the subscription
price Of those papers, and that the weather
forecast is the first thing which commands
their attention IN taking up morning
paper.
6. A State weather service will not only
enable us TO secure our portion OF the
large appropriation made annually by Con
gress for the support of the United States
bureau. but will bring the service to
bear directly upon the daily lives and bu-L
ness interests of all the people OF the
State.
7. II will be the means Of securing q
much better know edge of the meteOrology
of the State ana will educate the people
OF large upon subject which IS OF vita
importance 10 their domestic comfort
health, and interest.
8. IL will be the means of securing fuller
and more timely ana relldDle productions
of weather changes, floods, frost, storms
&c.
9. II will give TO every county, city, and
town standard and reliable statistics OF
temperature, rainfall, wind velocity, hu.
midity. and prevailing winds and rams
all being valuable.
10. This will furnish engineers and manu-
facturers the data upon which business
enterprises NAV be safely projected, ca
nails dug. sewers laid down, dams con-
structed, etc.
II. 1t will furnish the basis for the esta-
blishment of sanitarlums. give the tenn
perature of our summer resorts, showing
their desirability for residences, health
etc.
II. II will lead 10 the formation of relia
| BILE meteorological records for use IN lega
cases, and form basis for the Intelligent
and successful practice of medicine, anc
| the study of diseases. insanity, etc.
" ffbatrrnan