Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-26
HALE RAPS BUREAU
Weather Forecasters AssaiIed
by Senator From Maine.
CRITICISM OF THE SERVICE
Representations Rated as Crosses,
Nearly All Wrong.
DEFENSE BY SENATOR WARREN
Discussion Arises During Considera-
ton of the Agricultural APP
preparation Bill.
CRITICISM OF THE SERVICE
DEFENSE BY SENATOR WARREN

The weather bureau received it's share
or pumps during the consideration of
the agricultural appropriation bill in the
senate yesterday afternoon. Senator Hale
occupying the position of chief bumper"
Inc provisions for the bureau, as ap-
proved by the Senate committee had
peen agreed to when Senator Hale arose.
BEFORE passing from that part of the
Dill relating to the weather bureau and
meteorological matters. wish the senator
IN charge of the bill would inform the
Senate what is the scope of the bill re-
| latlng to the weather bureau The sena-
tor at my right suggests that there is
nothing that We can do to control the
weather. which is undoubtedly true. But
II We have an expensive bureau whose
business 1t is to prognosticate it ought
once in while to make a lucky guess
as to the weather.
pretty Much ALI Wrong"
| CAN know that this winter tho nred;c-
tons of the weather bureau have been
the laughing stock Of everybody. With
the exception of certain phrases ahout
wind along certain coasts being fresh
and southerly and southeasterIy and
northwesterly, the guesses made by the
bureau have been pretty much all wrong
1t is not simply matter of ioke. It is
In 1act the case that there are MANY
credulous persons who take stock in the
guesses of the weather bureau, as a great
many credulous persons read predictions
and believe the predictions in newspapers
which are taken back the next day.
The weather bureau ought not to be
c0ndIlcfpd fbaf VI
ing a great deal of motley and we are
spending 1t upon a service that ought to
DE or use to many interests in the coun-
try. The weather bureau ought not to
go on the theory that when it predicts
| today and tomorrow, the prediction ia
bound to be absurd and the country will
forget and forgive 1t. The fact that the
! weather bureau seems to have no ac-
curate knowledge upon which it can base
any prediction is a very calamitous fact.
WIN the senator tell us what the bureau
proposes to the committee on agriculture
as basis of this guesswork?'
Senator Warren Replies.
Senator Warren, in charge OF the bill,
replied that the weather bureau, like
other branches of the government service,
mad grown in recent years. This, he said,
was due to the demand of the shipping
and agricultural interests.
There must be more or less suesswork
In this service declared Senator War
rem: Just as there is guesswork in
human minds over the happenings from
last summer through November
Senator Bailey here cut in with a oues-
ton.
Can the weather change it's mind like
folks?'
Not as rapidly" replied Senator War
rem: but sometimes it is just as variable
as people"
Senator Hale remarked that the gov
eminent did not pay for guesswork
But the government pays for the ses-
slons of the Senate, and no man can
predict what the Senate will do during
the day." answered Senator Warren.
Useful to Farmers.
Senator Warren said that the weather
bureau was not asking any increase in
appropriations this year. He said, how
ever, that there was great demand
throughout the country for further
extension of the service. He said that
the head of the bureau, Willis Moore,
had been before the committee to answer
charges made against the conduct of the
bureau by an employee of the bureau who
had resigned after some difficulties. and
that the charges had not been sustained.
Senator Young rallied to the support
of the weather bureau also. He declared
that the farmers of the Mississippi valley
had given much attention to the weather
reports, and that they had received many
benefits from the service He said that
he hoped liberal appropriations for the
service would be made.