86 THE CLIMATE OF AUSTRALASIA 



meteorologists at their Observatories, but in 

 spite of them, by experimental work along 

 fresh lines. If Schuster could make such 

 complaints in Europe, one wonders in what 

 terms he would express his opinions on the 

 condition of meteorology in some other places. 

 If Australian meteorology is behind that of 

 India, it is not the fault of our meteorologists, 

 who have done wonderfully well, with the 

 means at their disposal. Their means have 

 been inadequate. Federal Australia wants a 

 meteorological service, which will adopt the 

 same methods of observation, and the same 

 system of publication for the whole of Australia 

 and for New Zealand ; and which will be so 

 organized, that the data collected will be fully 

 and promptly used. We want a united meteo- 

 rological service, working on a uniform plan 

 and publishing uniform records ; and that 

 service should have a sufficient staff and suffi- 

 cient money to undertake experiments outside 

 the ordinary routine of Observatory work. 



Such a service, to be efficient, must be as 

 elastic, and free from red tape rules as a Govern- 

 ment Department can be. Its officers must carry 

 on their work, animated by a love of scientific 

 research and not as a matter of business routine. 

 The British Government largely relies on the 

 Royal Society for advice in dealing with its 

 scientific work. And in the case of the estab- 

 lishment of a Federal Meteorological Service, 

 the Australian Government might well follow 



