The San Francisco call., 1904-07-10
John BnYs "Oh Probs." "
Special Correspondence.

were q good deal surprised tne
other day when they discovered
that the British Weather Office is
run, not by the Government but
by a Joint stock limited liability COM
pany aided by a Government subsidy.
That interesting information was made
public by the report OF a Parliamentary
committee. which was appointed to in
quire into the affairs Of the company,
and which recommends that the organ
ization be wound up and it's work car
ried on in something like up-to-date
fashion, as a regular part Of the ma
chinery Of the state.
The British Weather Office affords
striking example OF the muddling
methods which characterize the man
agement Of so many important ma
tional Institutions in this country.
Fifty years ago it was created as a
branch OF the Board of Trade, with
Admiral Fitzroy at its head. A few
years later the admiral died and the
Government, anxious to shirk all pos
sible burdens and responsibilities. be-
sought the Royal Society to look after
the weather for them, promising to
supply the necessary funds, The Royal
Society undertook the job and appoint
ed a meteorological council to supervise
it. In order that the Office thus turned
out Of doors by its parent, the Govern
ment, might have some definite stand
ing. it was registered as a company
and the council became the directors,
rTrrf, \ zr
trade carried on, and the only source
Of revenue was the paltry Government
grant Of S76, 500 a year. John Bull
takes a long time to wake up, and it
is after half a century's experience OF
the utter inadequacy Of the system
pursued that It is proposed to reorgan-
ize the Office and transfer it to the
Board of Agriculture.
AS at present constituted the Brit
ish Weather Bureau compares with the
American institution much as that
antiQuated, slow and cumbersome
vehicle, a London bus, compares with
a Pullman palace car. 1t is housed in
a few little poky offices in Victoria
street, and its scientific equipments
are utterly insufficient for an under
Aoh4A4E u SUN vast AlllpOl ldLCe "
commercial and agricultural indus
tries. Most of the bureaus work is
done by a small staff of underpaid
clerks, totally deficient in meteoro-
logical training. On Sundays, up to late
in the evening, the place is closed up
tight as a drum, and during the inter-
val the weather may indulge in what
soever vagaries it pleases, free from
official observation. No efforts what
ever are made to forecast "cold snaps"
accurate warnings Of which would en-
able fruit growers and agriculturists
to save many thousands of dollars.
In sending out storm warnings the
bureau is much hampered by the in
efficiency Of the postoffice. which con-
trolls the telegraph lines. Such mes
sages," states the recent committee re-
port, frequently reach their destina-
ton fourteen hours after the observa-
tions on which the warnings had been
based" Out Of 120 warning kilograms
sent out on a certain morning only
nineteen were delivered on the same
evening. As for such storms as are
reckless enough to blow on Sundays,
tidings Of them are more belated still.
The postoffice accepts money for such
messages, but the weather office being
private institution, no exceptional ia
cilities are granted for their transmits
sion and no responsibility is assumed
for their delivery. If the weather office
were conducted as a department of the
Government messages emanating from
1t would be entitled to the exceptional
treatment accorded Government busi-
ness and rushed" But as things are
at present the rules and regulations of
the postoffice admit of no distinction
between a trivial private message and a
telegram conveying information Of an
approaching gale. and which If deliv-
cred in time might prevent shipwrecks
and save many human lives. It is a
lovely example of blind devotion to the
requirements of red tape which is so
eminently characteristic Of British Of
ficialdom. 1t was some time ago sug-
gested that storms might be forecast
with much greater accuracy if arrange
ments were made for receiving me-
teorological reports from Atlantic liners
fitted up with wireless telegraphic ap-
paratus. That a system of this sort
would save to the nation annually a
thousandfold what It would cost is ad-
mitted. But two obstacles prevent its
being carried into effect-lack of funds
and the absence Of any postofice facili-
ties for the reception Of wireless mes
sages. And thus the penny wise and
pound foolish policy has again tri-
umphed.
The British Board Of Agriculture In
its way is just as antiquated and in
efficient as the weather Office, and there
is little ground for expecting that un-
der its control there would be much
improvement in the weather forecast
ing. 1t is not surprising, therefore, that
two members of the committee dissent
from the accommodation that It should
annex the weather office.
HAYDEN CHURCH.
What do you think of the idea of
electing Senators by the people ?"
Il don't know that it would make
a great deal of difference to me-" an