Arizona republican., 1904-03-04
A DOUBLE KICK
Directed Against the Weather Bureau
 and Magazine Publishers.

A communication relating to the shortcomings of the weather man and the makers of magazines was receiv- ed at this office yesterday from a resident of the south side. As appears by the kick printed hereinafter the af- front offered by the weather man con- sists in unintelligibility. That of the magazine producer lies in his failure to cut the leaves of the magazine. The weather man may explain as to the accusation against him and it may be explained on the part of the magazine men that they are following an old and fOolish' custom-that is, some of them are They offer in extenuation that the reason they do not cut the leaves is that many people want to preserve the magazines and have them bound; that if the leaves were cut. that is- the leaves containing the read ing matter, they would likely be torn on the edges by the first handling and there would be no room to cut them against when they come to be bound. In the binding the advertis- ing leaves are left cut. This is not an entirely satisfactory explanation for the leaves might be trimmed ever so little. still leaving a margin for trimming again. It frequently happens that in the absence of sharp instrument the impatient magazine reader cuts the leaves with his fOrefinger and not unusually tears away the whole margin, but a part of the printed matter. But here is the kick in full:
 To the Editor Of The Republican. Sir:-I have grievance and since talking with others on the subject find they are afflicted the same way It is all on account of the weather man at Phoenix
 Why is it that a person, employed by the people for the purpose of keep ing said people informed of the actual state of the weather and probable changes to be expected, cannot make his reports intelligible to one with a good common school education? We knew he is a scientist and therefore knows a great deal more than We do but for that very reason he should have compassion upon us. and talk to us in good, honest English, instead of the meaningless technicalities he en- ploys.
 Every day he tells us in The Re publican about the mean and the
 normal temperature. usually show ing a difference. What is the normal temperature, anyhow, if it is not the mean" and who fixed it. and by what right? He speaks of the departures for the month and for the year. but gives no arrivals" However since they are given in degrees, presumably. and are sometimes plus and sometimes minus, they must mean angles. east or west. Hence, that mysterious in- Formation must have some bearing on our geographical position. Now. some of us know that places can be fixed by their attitudes and departures. but the weather man gives us no latitude. Ft is probable he assumes we all ought to know what it is, which is just. but even in that case we seem to be con tinually sliding east or west upon it. and never knowing where we're at.
 A day or two ago the relative hu- midity" was given at 2 per cent" Re lative' means comparative" With what is this humidity compared. with an equal volume of water, which. I take it, would contain about 100 per cent. humidity. or an equal volume of ashes, fresh from the furnace? Does anyone in Arizona believe that during the present drouth we have 2 per