xxu 



transfer of observatory work to the 

 Coramonwealth Government is under 

 consideration. lb appears from what 

 transpired at the meeting of the Royal 

 Society on the 10th inst. that the con- 

 ditions which Captain Gust and Mr. 

 Wragge reported as necessary for the 

 cflicienb conduct of the astronomical 

 and meteorological work of the Ob- 

 servatory h'ave never been pro- 

 vided by the Government, either 

 as to staif or equipment. Con- 

 sequently, as the Hon. N. J. Brown 

 has pointed out. it must bo mrde clear to 

 the Commonwealth GoveriMuent t^iar if a 

 transfer is made, additions to both will 

 be required. The difficulty of the situa- 

 tion is enhanced by the pressing neces- 

 sity for retrenchment at the present 

 time. All are agreed as to the desira- 

 bility of placing the Meteorological De- 

 partment on a better footing. It seems 

 to have been considered in the past 

 that the department, having to deal 

 with atmospheric phenomena, should 

 live on air. This idea led to its 

 being nearly starved out of existence. 

 Yet if the Vork is required, it should 

 be paid for, and the payment should 

 bear some proportion to the skill and 

 experience necessary to the attain- 

 ment of scientific accuracy. 

 Few who havei not been trained m sci- 

 ence, Mr. KingsmiU pointed out, can 

 realise the quantity of labour neces- 

 sary to ensure accurate results, or the 

 worse than useless character of work in 

 a scientific department that is nearly 

 right, but not quite. For example, a 

 sniall mistake in the time-service is more 

 puzzling, and more likely to be mislead- 

 ing, than a large error, which would be 

 obvious. What then is to be done? The 

 most practical appears to be, that ar- 

 rangements should be made for a con- 

 ference of the Directors of Observatory 

 work in the different States, and that 

 they should be assigned the task of pre- 

 paring a scheme which will satisfy both 

 general and local requirements. There 

 is no insuperable difficulty in the pre- 

 paration of such a scheme ; the problem 

 is identical with one which has been al- 

 read}^ solved in the Dominion of Can- 

 ada. There was a time, said Mr. Kings- 

 mill, when each Province in the Domin- 

 ion had its own seperate time service, 

 and meteorological .siervice, vsuch as it 

 Avas. Now, there is one central 

 office in Toronto, which receives wea- 

 ther telegrams from over three hun- 



dneid observing stations throughout 

 the Dominion. Forecasits are issued 

 daily from the central office to all 

 tlie Provinces. A similar syste^m prevail- 

 ed in. the United States, only on a great- 

 er scaLe. No meteorological service in 

 the world was better organised than 

 that of the United States, and on none 

 was there so large an expenditure. 

 Yet it is a productive expenditure, 

 and it has often happened that} a sav- 

 ing has been eft'cctexl by the timely 

 Avarning of a single storm, which would 

 more than cover the cost of maintain- 

 ing the service for a year. What has 

 been done both in Canada and the 

 United States, with signal suc- 

 cess, can be done, and ought to 

 be done, in this State. He would, in 

 conclusion, most strongly submit for the 

 Hon. the Premier's consideration the 

 advisability of urging that a conference 

 of meteoiologjsts be appointed at an 

 early date. 



Mr. A. Risby, Warden of the Hobart 

 Marine Board, supported the object of the 

 depatation. 



Mr. John Macfarlane (President of the 

 Hobart Chamber of Commerce) urged that 

 the work of the Observatory, if ijroperly 

 carried out. was of great importance to the 

 shipping. The forecasts of weather, as 

 given to the fishermen m the o.d country, 

 were largel}^ the means of saving life. 



The Eev. J. B. Woollnough, M.A., 

 M.H.A., asked had the Premier received 

 any communication from the Federal Go- 

 vernment as to giving Mr. Wragge facili- 

 ties for his work, as we had been doing .^ 



The Premier said he bad received a tele- 

 gram from Mr. Philp, Premier of Queens- 

 land, saying that if free telegrams and 

 postage were conceded, Mr. Wragge^s work 

 could be carried on for d£2,O0O a j^ear, and 

 asking would the various States contri- 

 bute fhat amount. He had replied, asking 

 for information, and saying that if Tas- 

 niiania's contribution was to be on a popu- 

 lation basis, he would submit to Parlia- 

 ment a favourable proposal. South Aus- 

 tralia had refused, and New South Wales 

 had agreed to contribute. He understood 

 that the Federal Government were will- 

 ing to concede free postage and telegrams. 

 He also understood that the Federal Go- 

 vernment would consider in the recess — 

 if there was one — (laughter) — the question 

 of taking over the meteorological service. 

 Ill writing to Mr. Deakin, he would bear 

 in mind all that had been said by the de- 

 putation. He was afraid the time wias not 

 opportune for asking this Government to 

 provide new instruments for our Observa- 

 tory. He would suggest to Mr. Ceakin the 

 conference spoken of by Mr. Kingsmill. 



