DEPUTATIONS TO MINISTERS. 



MOUNT WELLINGTON AS A METEOROLOGICAL AND 

 ASTRONOMICAL STATION. 



Sir James Agnew introduced several members of the Royal Society 

 to the Chief Secretary (Hon. W. Moore) on Friday afternoon, April 19, 

 1895, and said it gave him pleasure to do so because he thought the object 

 was a good one, being for the purpose of putting the colony's meteoro- 

 logical observations on a more useful, sound, and scientific basis. The 

 deputation called to ask the Government M request permission from 

 the Queensland Government for Mr. Wragge, a celebrated meteoro- 

 logical observer, to pay a visit to this colony. It was sought to estab- 

 lish a meteorological station on Mount Wellington, and Mr. Wragge 

 was so well known in the other colonies that it was believed he could 

 enlist their support in the matter. It was well known that these 

 meteorological observations were useful to this and all other colonies. 

 If Souih Australia, Victorisi, Queensland, and New South Wales 

 were to join in the movement the expense to each would be 

 comparatively small. But all the Government was asked for now 

 was to get permission for Mr. Wragge to come here, and frank him 

 to come and go. There would be no other expensej because Mr. 

 Kingsmill had asked Mr. Wragge to be his gues<\ If an observatory 

 were established here under Mr. Wragge' directions they knew id 

 would le well done, and in the right direction, probably eventually 

 leading to an astronomical observatory being attached. It was known 

 that Mr. Russell, of the Sydney Observatory, was anxious to get an 

 observatory on Mount Wellington, where the atmospheric conditions 

 were peculiarly favourable. It was the most southern point in Austral- 

 asia, and was in many ways especially adapted for an observator}'. 

 This would be a great attraction to Hobart, and any little expense 

 incurred would be more than recouped by the establishment of a 

 meteorological and astronomical observatory urj there. 



The Meteorological Observes (Mr. Kingsmill) read extracts from a 

 letter from Mr. Wragge showing that a meteorological station on 

 Mount Wellington would be of great service. Mr. Wragge estab- 

 lished a station on Ben Nevis, in Scotland, and another at Fort 

 William, at the foot of Ben Nevis, where simultaneous readings were 

 taken more than once a day, and these supplied important data,. 

 Naval officers stated that they had every confidence in Mr. Wragge's 

 skill and forecasts. It was possible that something might be got 

 from him in the way of making of some arrangements for sending his 

 forecasts here by telegraph. 



The Government Statistician (Mr. E. M. Johnston) said that the 

 captain of H. M.S. Penguin had spoken strongly of the advantage it, 

 would be to have the proposed station on Mount Wellington. It would 

 greatly aid the preparation of forecasts, and ensure their greater 

 certainty. Captain Balfour assured him that in his own experience 

 more than 70 per cent, of Mr. Wragge's forecasts were verified, and 

 that with them he could go to sea with the greatest confidence. 

 Anything that would improve such data and enable greater provision 

 to be made for the safety of ships at sea was of national importance. 



Mr. Morton (secretary of the Royal Society) and Colonel Le'gge 

 supported the request. 



The Chief Secretary said it was a pleasure to say that the Govern- 

 ment would extend every sympathy to such an object a^ the Roval 

 Society were desirous of carrying out. There wou'd be no difficulty 



