The record-union., 1895-12-04
IS HAMMOND JEALOUS OF BARWICK?
He Wants the Weather Station Here
Closed Up.
The Chamber of Commerce Should See
That the Government is Not
AiSled.

Every time a change is made by the
Federal Government in its forecast offl-
Ger of the Weather Bureau on this coast
since the service was changed from the
Army to the Agricultural Department,
the newcomer has apparently felt it his
duty to recommend to the Government
the abolition of the office in Sacramento
and its removal to San Francisco.
w. H Hammond, the present fore
cast officer at San Francisco, who has
been in California nearly year, and
therefore knows all about the State, its
climate and necessities, has proved no
exception to the rule. He says that the
station here is of no value in forecast
ing, and recommends that the office be
closed, and the State Weather Service
be transferred to San Francisco.
The farmers of the two great agri-
cultural valleys of the State may possi-
bly, differ from Mr.. Hammond. Many of
them have lived here lifetime and
have for years reaped the benefit of the
observations and forecasts made by OBJ
server Barwick, which have on numer-
Gus occasions been the means of saving
them from great loss of crops.
On the other hand, the forecasts made
by the San Francisco office have often
proved fallaciouS and unreliable on ac-
count of wind currents and other phe-
nOmena existing in the interior which
change or modify the course Of storms
Sacramento has been a station of
weather record ever since 1S49, the late
Dr.. Logan taking up the work, and ).
H Gerrish continuing it after his death.
The present office of the Government
has been in Sacramento for the past
eighteen years, and the farmers and
others have learned to rely largely on
it's predictions, and would miss them
sadly if it were removed. 1t is also of
great value in collecting statistics.
MIR. Hammond advocates its removal
on the score of economy, as it would
dispense with the services OF messen-
ger. AS an offset to this expense, OBJ
server Barwich's S office being the head
quarters of the State weather service,
the State Agricultural Society prints
his bulletins free, and they are con-
sdered SO valuable that they are sent
for from all over the East and are
greatly priced.
1t is not at all likely that if the office
were removed to San Francisco and
made an adjunct to the United States
Office there the society would care to
print and distribute reports taken on
the seashore and under conditions en-
tirely different from those in the in
terror There are at present also 140
volunteer observers throughout the
State in communication with this office,
and il is question as to how many Of
them would continue to devote their
time and money to the work if San
Francisco gobbles up the office. Last
year the expenses of the office, exclusive
Of the Observers salary, amounted to
$13, and the saving of that Sl3 by the
removal of the Office would doubtless
be of great moment to the Govern
ment.
It has been suggested 1t would be well
for the Chamber of Commerce of this
city to take some action in the matter
and to ask our Senators and Repre-
sentatives in Congress to have it set
tied definitely that the office is not to
be taken from this city.
Special Government Agent Aiken re-
Gently visited the Sacramento office
and after a thorough investigation of
it he reported to Washington that it
was a model one, the best managed of
any he had visited in the West 1t
looks as if the San Francisco forecast
officers have all been jealous of OBJ
server Barwick because his reports
and bulletins are sought by individuals
and institutions all over the Union
while no one ever heard of an inquiry
being made for San Francisco reports.