WEATHER BUREATT. 9 



is not easily attained. The hail cannonaders base their reports of 

 success upon such statements as "a black cloud was seen approach- 

 ing, cannon were fired, and the cloud passed over without hail," or 

 "it passed to one side and the hail did not fall on the protected vine- 

 yard, and there the hail ceased," or " the cloud broke in two, passing 

 to the right and left, leaving the sky cloudless over the cannon." 

 Now these are quite common cloud and storm phenomena, and they 

 will frequently happen without cannonading. There is no way of 

 telling by the sight of an approaching cloud whether or not it is 

 accompanied by hail. Therefore, if the cannon be used every thun- 

 derstorm would have to be bombarded, although statistics have 

 demonstrated that only one thunder cloud out of a great number con- 

 tains hail. In other words, there would be a tremendous waste of 

 time, money, and energy in unnecessary bombardments. 



After examining all that has been published during the past two 

 years on the subject of hail prevention, I have to repeat the opinion 

 heretofore expressed that we have here to deal with a popular delusion, 

 and that efforts should be made to prevent its spread in this country. 

 The great processes going on in the atmosphere are conducted on too 

 large a scale for any man or any nation to attempt to control them. 

 According to Professor Abbe, the energy expended by nature in the 

 production of a hailstorm, a tornado, or a rainstorm probably exceeds 

 the combined energy of all the steam engines and explosives in the 

 world. It is useless for man to attempt to combat nature on this scale. 



THE MERIT SYSTEM AND THE DISCIPLINE IN THE WEATHER BUREAU. 



A system of merit and discipline has been gradually developed in 

 the Bureau, which not only conforms to the letter of the Civil-Service 

 law, but carries its spirit to a logical conclusion. The system com- 

 pels each employee or official to work out his own official salvation. 

 It is fair to all ; it enables honest and efficient persons to work them- 

 selves upward; it contributes to a high standand of manly character 

 and to efficiency in public office, and it holds back those of mediocre 

 attainments or of slothful habits. 



The duties of the Bureau are exacting. It requires a strict disci- 

 pline to administer a service with such extensive ramifications, and to 

 have every man at his post of duty at exactly the same moment of 

 time. To do this several times each twenty-four hours, as is neces- 

 sary in the gathering and the charting of simultaneous weather obser- 

 vations, and in the rapid dissemination back to the country of the 

 forecasts and warnings based upon the observations, the observers 

 must be tractable, prompt to respond to orders, which often come by 

 telegraph, and possessed of more than the average of education and 

 intelligence. 



The Secretary of Agriculture has given his unqualified approval to 

 existing plans for the gradual intellectual growth and development of 

 the clerks, observers, and other officials of the Weather Bureau. 



It has been the purpose of the chief of the Bureau to recognize only 

 the needs of the Weather Bureau and the merits of its employees in 

 all matters of promotion, reduction, removal, or appointment, and to 

 make only such recommendations to the Secretary as would meet his 

 demands for an efficient service and inspire confidence among the 

 workers of the Bureau in the fairness of the recommendations of the 

 chief. The Secretary has been liberal in recognizing the meritorious 

 workers of the Bureau; he expects a high standard of fitness in return. 



