Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1911-03-03
Senator's Opinions OF The Weather
Bureau.

In the United States Senate on last Sat
urday Senator Hale, of Maine, doubted the
value of the Weather Bureau services when
an appropriation for the maintenance Of
the bureau was reached in the reading of
an appropriation bill. The big minds of
the Senate discussed the services rendered,
and it appears upon the reading of the
debate that Mr. Hale was unable to prove
his case" against the scientific efforts of
Chief Moore. The debate as follows is taken
from the Congressional Record
Mr.. Hale. Mr. President, before passing
from the part of the bill relating to the
Weather Bureau and meteorological mat
tiers, wish the Senator in charge of the
bill would inform the Senate what is the
scope of the bill relating to the Weather
BureauY A Senator at my right suggests
there is nothing that we can do to control
the weather, which is undoubtedly true,
but if we have an expensive bureau, whose
business it is to prognosticate, it ought
once in while to make lucky guess as
to the weather. All know that this winter
the predictions of the Weather Bureau
have been the laughinestock of everybody.
With the exception of certain phrases about
winds along certain coasts being fresh and
southerly and southeastly and westerly
and northwesterly, the guesses that the
bureau has made have pretty much all
been wrong 1t is not simply matter of
joke. Ii is unfortunately the case that
there are many credulous persons who take
stock in the guesses of the Weather Bu-
reau, as a great many credulous persons
read predictions and statements in news
papers. which are taken back the next day.
OF course we all understand that when the
newspapers say that such and such a thing
is going to be done to-day. and tomorrow
they say it is not going to be done. the
newspapers depend upon the forgetfulness
of the public that tomorrow the public
will not remember what has been said to-
day. But the Weather Bureau. Mr.. Pres
dent, ought not to be conducted on that
basis We are spending great deal of
money. and we are spending it upon a ser
vice that ought to be of use-of use to
many interests in the country, of use to
shippers and shipping, to manufacturers,
to the different trades, and to great many
things that enter into the general business
of the country. The Weather Bureau ought
not to 60 upon the theory when it predicts
to-day, and tomorrow that prediction is
found to be absurd, that the country will
forget it and forgive it.
The fact that the Weather Bureau seems
to have no actual knowledge upon which
it can base any prediction is very calami-
tous fact, 1t is calamitous because, as
have said, 1t involves real and important
interests, and wish the Senator would tell
us-not that suppose he could put into
an appropriation bill a provision that will
give any man the power of unering guess
work but wish he would tell us whether
his committee, in considering this subject
and perhaps in dealing with the Weather
Bureau. had representatives of that bureau
before it; and II so, what the bureau said
in reference TO this condition and to the
estimate that the public has gained, espe-
cially this winter, of its not only apparent
uselessness but perhaps of its harmfulness.
Will the Senator tell us what the Weather
Bureau propounded to the Committee on
Agriculture as the basis of this guesswork
Mr.. Warren. Mr.. President. the Weather
Bureau has grown in size, expense. and
usefulness, like other branches Of the Gov
eminent Not many years ago ii was
sort of side issue in the War Department,
under the charge of an officer of the army /;
but upon representations of the shipping
interests Of the country, the agricultural
interests. and others, it was enlarged and
finally made of general application and
carried to the Department of Agriculture.
have to submit and admit without hest
tatiOn, that there must be in this service
more or less guesswork or miscalculation.
While have not had my attention called
particularly to the fallibility of the service
this winter. have only to compare il with
the guesses of what may be going on in
the human mind as to what may happen
from time to time and what has happened.
From some time last summer along through
November and up to the present time great
many guesses have gone wild. do the
service the Justice
A.. nosIo.r h.. h..,L tk.a
the weather could change its mind like
folksg
Mr.. Warren. Not as rapidly but some
times it gets just as variable as do the
people.
Mr.. Bailey. You see the things that hap
pened during the time to which the Sena-
tor has referred came about through a
change Of mind.
Mr.. Warren Which the weather some
times affects.
Mr.. Bailey Very greatly affects.
Mr.. Warren. Undoubtedly when the
mind is sou southeast" and a man has
not had his coffee and he meets a dis
agreeable party on the street, he is not as
affable as he is later in the day when the
wind has changed to south and his bodily
wants have been properly cared for.
Mr.. Bailey. | submit that the Senator
from Maine ought to be entirely satisfied
with that explanation. ILaughterl
Mr.. Hale Mr. President, admit that
that is the best explanation that the Sena-
tor can give. AS he says. we have all
sorts of guesswork going on about different
things but we do not pay for that guess
work.
Mr.. Warren. Excuse me, but the Gov
eminent pays a very great deal for each
session of the Senate, and man who will
undertake in the morning to guess what
will be done during the day will generally
have another guess coming.
Mr.. Hale. But ii is not part Of the duty