Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

the weather bureau-
PROPOSED STATION AT CAIRNS.
The suggestion has frequently been libido
tliat, with a view to trie issue of storm
warnings to ship masters in the cyclonic
season, a . meteorological bureau should be
established at Cairns. Tlic Commonwealth
Meteorologist (Mr.- H. A. Hunt), who. re
cently returned from a visit to Queensland,
yesterday submitted a report to the Assist
ant Minister for Homo Affairs (Mr.-W. H,
Kelly), in which he stated that the -utility-
expected to result from the cstahlishinont
of such a bureau was baaed on quite art
erroneous idea. A meteorologist was .ihi-
potent to work without. data, and an office
at Cairns would he as useless as one" at
Brisbane for issuing storm warnings if /an
interruption to tlio telegraph lines oc
curred,. It was confidently anticipated/
however, now that land wireless stations
rind been established, and the more /im
portant of the mercantiio marine fitted
with JIarconi apparatus, and arrangements
made for their co-operation by furnishing
meteorological reports teat, would assist/in
arriving, at a more accurate localisation of.
ate"" centres, the disabilities under which
Norte Queensland stations had suffered in
the past during tho cyclone season would
be minimised. Although a large and" in- -
creasing,, number of vessels were- being
equipped with the wireless apparatus, and
were included in the meteorological bureau
weather reporting organisation, the -effi
ciency of the service was seriously dis
counted by. the fact that the ships couid
not under postal regulations transmit re<
ports while in harbor. If this disability
were removed the weather service would
be rendered still further independent of tho
land telegraph lines during the hurricane
season, and tho central meteorological
bureau and tlie divisional officers in each
of tee State capitals would by this means
be in regular communication with the
whole of the coast line of Australia, and
shipping equipped with- wireless for storm-
: warning purposes. Mr. Kelly, in making
this report available, stated that he had .
had an interview with tlie Postmaster-
General with a view to an amendment of
trie postal regulations in order to permit
of the despatch and receipt of meteorn,
logical information- by ships equipped witii
wireless telegraph apparatus while in port
of in the territorial waters of the Common
wealth. Jlr. Wynne readily admitted that
the suggestion of the Commonwealth
Jleteoroiogist commended itself to him, ap<l
he promised to take steps to have trie regu
lations amended as soon as possible.
$