PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 19 



contours of our Continent, are beyond our control, but they 

 ought not to be beyond our knowledge. The climate has its 

 ueculiarities, some highly favourable, others sufficiently trying, 

 but the only way to make the best of it is to understand it, and 

 to regulate our action in accordance with our understanding. 

 Hitherto the separate States have with varying degrees of atten- 

 tion created, administered, or neglected their Weather Bureaus. 

 The Commonwealth Government has now, however, taken over 

 the whole Department. This in itself is a vast improvement. 

 The climate of Australia can only be studied scientifically as a 

 whole, and one organisation can compass the work much more 

 efficiently than half a dozen independent bodies. Another most 

 hopeful feature is that last winter on the direct invitation of the 

 Minister for Home Affairs a Conference of scientific men, includ- 

 ing Professors from the Universities of Sydney, Melbourne, and 

 Adelaide, and presided over by the Commonwealth Meteorologist, 

 Mr. Hunt, was held for the purpose of securing uniformity in 

 •meteorological methods throughout Australia, and with a view 

 to ascertaining the best methods of obtaining the most efficient 

 services. All the States were represented with the not very 

 creditable exception of Queensland. The subjects discussed 

 were : — 



(1) The range of practical meteorological observation to be at 

 once undertaken. 



(2) The expansion of meteorological work to be undertaken in 

 the future. 



(3) The extent of purely scientific investigations, the under- 

 taking of which is desirable in the interests of meteorology. 



(4) Meteorological records, reports, and publications. 



(5) Maritime meteorology. 



(6) The relation of river observation to flood forecasting. 



(7) The co-operation of the Commonwealth and States 

 Departments. 



These form a comprehensive programme, and the recommenda- 

 tions brought forward showed the value of the happy combination 

 ■of skilled officials and representatives of pure science. Of the 



