The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1912-04-07
COMMITTEE SAYS
WEATHER BUREAU
TOO EXPENSIVE
Representatives Say Many Stations,
Kept Up, are not Needed
at All

Department of Agriculture into the
charges of gross abuse of power
! extravagance and ineffieiency of ad-
ministration" brought against Chief
Willis Moore, Of the I. s, Weather
Bureau, there is promise Of an early
| report And this report, whether
damaging or favorable to Chief
| Moore, is likely TO put a damper on
his ambitious attempts TO extend
| through Congressional appropria-
ertan admittedly useless features
II his service.
While congress has always ac-
| knOwledged The usefulness of tn
weather bureau to the country as 9
| whole aud has appropriated bounti-
fully for its support, there has long
| existed feeling that its administra-
ton has been neither wise nor eco
| 1omical There have been several
| attempts to turn the limelight OF
It's inner workings, but these have
been only partially successful and
| Chief Moore, protected by the Sec
rotary of Agriculture and friends in
congress, has come off with not
more than a mild censure, this cen
| SIRE being from President Roosevelt
viii Institute Reforms.
| The present investigation, how
yer, is likely to result in reforms
that will be highly beneficial TO the
Weather Bureaus The charges
which resulted in the inquiry were
brought by James Berry, an exper.
compiler, who cult the bureau after
"a years of service For several
| years before he laid his facts before
| Congress he had been conducting a
MET investigation. Berry's retire
| uent was followed by the introduce
ion in the House by Representative
airy, of Wisconsin, Of resolution
royiding for an investigation Of
| htcL Nbpi INITIAL tchhuSt. L AC
ctivities Of Moore, however, result
d IN a withdrawal of the resolution
under circumstances which testify
to the ability of the Weather Chief
o manipulate Congressman
Besides alleging that the Weather
| Bureau appropriations are greatly in
| excess Of the bureaus actual needs,
Berry charged that his former chief
compelled the employees of this 200
weather bureau stations throughout
the country to procure from com
nercial organizations and other
| sources fattering Endorsements of
Noore's administration Of the bu-
| reau These Endorsements were used
n convincing Congress of the unwis-
| Iom of curtailing Moores requests
| or new stations. Another charge
related to the publication of a book
on meteorology for his personal gain.
1t was charged that the data was col
| acted and compiled by government
Experts during their official working
hours and with government ma
terials Chief Moore, instead OF
defeating the book to the govern
neHt, had it published by a private
firm and put it on sale at SO per
volume.
TIE Weather Bureau inquiry Ian
guished while the McCabe charges
against Or, Harvey w. Wiley were
being probed by the same committee
but with this out, of the way it is
probable that Chief Moore will now
''be called up on the carpet"
Club Don't Gamble.
I'VE play for money? Preposter-
ous!" Thus do the members of the
Congressional Club, made up of the
wives and daughters of Senator'S and
Representatives, Indignantly deny
the charge that bridge whist is play
| ed at their clubhouse and that on
| several occasions games have broken
up with members in tears, sadder but
| wiser as the result of heavy losses.
The story was whispered into the ear
Of a news gatherer by one of these
losers But the charge Is denied, so
how can lady's word be doubted
Here Is what Mrs. c. r. Davis, wife
of Representative Davis, of Mime
sofa, says on the subject
| wives of members of Congress
have trouble enough planning where
they are to get money to run theirs
homes and buy food and clothing
without giving thought to gamb-
ling. If there are many of them who
have money to throw away at the
gaming table, / have never discov-
cred them"
| The United States is said to be
preparing vigorous protest against
The establishment of large Japan