Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-23
WEATHER BUREAU HEAD
REPLIES TO CHARGES
Discusses Accusations That
Have Been Laid Before Com
mittee of House.
To the Editor Of The Star:

To the Editor OF The Star:
In your issue Of last night Chairman
Moss of the House committee on expend-
lures in the Department of Agriculture
announced that he would at an early date
consider charges against the weather bu-
reau. 1t would seem as though the
weather bureau should be given space in
the press to make reply to charges that
are publicly promulgated. 1 would, there
fore, ask you to kindly publish the fol-
lowing statement:
Some time ago 1t was announced in the
press that the fruit and other interests
served ny the government had made COM
paint to Mr.. Moss committee against the
weather bureau. This was answered at
once by resolutions from practically all
of the fruit interests Of the west and the
truck-growtng interests Of the south At
lantic and gulf states. protesting against
being made responsible for such charges,
and commenting the weather service and
it's present administration in the highest
terms.
Employment Of Experts.
As to the charge made by a former er
ploye Of the weather bureau, who was de-
posed from his position as chief of divi-
sion, that l have employed, or ATTEMPTED
to employ, experts for the taking Of spe-
cial observations, contrary to law, would
preparation act for the support Of the
weather bureau for the period ending
June 30, 1911" which appropriation was
IN operation at the time of my CORE
spondenoe relative to the employment of
certain special observers. In the third
line on this page appear the following
words: And for pay Of special observers
none OF whom shall receive more
than $50 per month.
Special Observers.
Under that authority the bureau en-
ploys over 1000 special observers who
perform service not in direct connection
with a regular meteorological station For
many years before I came to the head OF
the weather bureau, and ever since then
chronological observations have been
taken at the central office in Washington
In March, 1911, Rev. +. L. Odenbach of
st. Ignatius' College, Cleveland, Ohio.
was onered employment as a special OBJ
server in the taking of archaeological OBJ
servations. He declined the employment.
and not dollar Of money has been
paid to him by this bureau However.
| am free to say that had he accepted
SiAONAu nave CHplOyS0 him, as i be-
heve such employment with the ap-
prevail of the Secretary Of Agriculture.
to be entirely within the law In nv
hearings before the House committee
on agriculture for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1912 (see page 22), 1 made
clear the intimate relation between 'seis-
mology and atmospheric phenomena,
and at the bottom Of page 20 explained
that l wished an increase in our ap-
preparation for the purchase Of in
struments 50 that installation Of
chronological apparatus might be made
outside Of Washington.
No Objection to Appropriation.
During all Of these hearings, which
extended over several pages, not a word
Of objection was made to the granting
of the appropriation for chronological
work, and when the hearings were over
the chairman Of the committee, both
through the disbursing officer Of the
Department Of Agriculture and to me
personally, called my attention to let
ter that he had written to me tho
previous year. in which he expressed the
opinion that we already had ample au-
thority for the taking Of chronological
observations without specifically insert
ing the word "seismology" in the BILL
BY custom, which began many years
before I came to the head of the
weather bureau. chronological observa-
lions were considered a part OF the
duties of a meteorological station, and up
to the present time no ruling has been
made against such an Interpretation. I.
therefore was fully justified. both by
law and by precedent. in endeavoring
to install chronological instruments at
our stations outside of Washington, and
in employing special observers" to
make readings from them, but in point
of fact no salaries ever have been paid
for the employment Of such observers
mr. in the purchase of instruments for
their use WILLIS L. MOORE,
Chief United States Weather Bureau.
Washington, July %. 1911.