The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1926. WEATHER PREDICTIONS.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 September 1926, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1926. WEATHER PREDICTIONS.

If national weather bureaux can predict to-morrow’s weather or at the most the weather forty-eight hours in advance, says a .New York publication of recent date, they are satisfied, bhe world is full of prophets, sooth-sayers, seventh (sons and like kindred, who pretend that they can forecast climatic conditions months and even years ahead. Everybody knows ot the “hard winter” and the “hot summer” brand of amateur meteorologists, and despite all scientific scoffing many are inclined to pin faith in these long-range predictions. Sometimes they, are right, When this happens we hear much from the successful prophet, More often these glimpses into the future arc wrong. Nobody pave much attention to that outcome, for we have to stand whatever brand of weather nature, sends, whether we like it or not. In this connection Mark Twain’s observation on the weather, “Everybody complains about it, but nobody seeiiiS to tie doing anything about'it,” is in order. But if the long range prophets come in for some derision now and then, what is to he said about those who forecast climatic conditions, not only a century, hut several centuries in the future? Yel there is some scientific basis for such forecasts. We know, of course, that the world went through a glacial period, aihl reaching hack to historical or nbar historical times, that weather in different parts of the world was much at variance with present temperatures. On the law of recurrence there ,is some ground to believe that these cycles will again be in'evidence. As a matter of fact they arc operating at all times. Test of sea temperatures indicate that minor changes that may mean much to the future, are now taking place. If certain sea waters lose gradually a proportion of their heat, it stands I" reason that adjacent land temperatures will likewise he. affected. It is figured that a drop of only two degrees in mean annual temperature covering certain portions of the globe, would have the startling effect of pushing crop lines a hundred or two miles to the south, through the retarding of usual spring growth, and the occurrence of frost at an earlier or seasonable period. Taking a large area like the United States, spring seems to move northward from tlie south at something like Id miles a day—that is, the season at one point will be so many days or so many weeks later than at another. Boversing the process, fall travels south in the same manner. It is easy t•see that should a- change of temperature become fixed, growing areas would he affected in the same proportion One or more forecasters of the longrange school are already convinced that changes of the character indicated are going on. They are not agreed, however, as to when they will lie more sharply developed. They content themselves with the rather indefinite prediction that change in temperature tv” bring rainfall to desert places, which following nature’s laws, will blossom like the rose, while in other areas, now fertile and of great value to the world as food producing centres, less favourable conditions will prevail. 1-erliaps they are right. AVe can console ourselves with the thought that while these prophets promise us a summerless summer. this year everybody seems about as hot as before, and that the sun is still doing business at the old stand. And we hope says the American paper in conclusion, that nobody influenced by a prophesied shifting of the isothormol crop line, will be impressed to the extent of selling the present grain market short.

In the session of Parliament concluded on Saturday, Labor served as the official Opposition, and on the whole is to be congratulated on its deportment. Mr Holland was a gracious loader, and conformed to the rules of the political game in the right spirit. The Opposition had not tho force to be unduly aggressive, hut' as occasion demanded, made its protest in orthodox manner. The Labor party boasts of its solidarity. and rather lived up to it. The party had a new role to fill on this occasion, and the burden of it may have had some restraining influence. But if that were so, it were all for the best, and the Party achieved a good report and record for the session’s work. One point made by Mr Holland at the close of the session should not j )(? lost sight of. That was the pica for more reasonable hours of sitting. It would hardly he possible to have purely daylight sessions because of the important committee work which has to |, e disposed of, but there should he more reasonable hours for sitting if the business of the country is to he dealt with sanely, and with regard also for the health and good tempers of the members. The method now adopted of sitting far into the night and early morning, might well he regarded as a relic of the past, and there is room certainly for some real reform in ordering the business of the House. 'There is the question 01 the stonewall o' course to bo considered, for when that begins, time goes by the board, the desire being to block business on procedure. Some form of applying the closure on such occasions would probably meet the position, but something of a more national character, governing the procedure of the House, might be adopted to avoid the late- and long hours of some of the sittings. On such occasion real business goes by the board ,and leaves members unlit tc resume normal duties for the following sittings. It would he well therefore i! Parliament' took up this matter, and sought- to bring about a rational degree of reform which would result, wc are persuaded, in greatly improved work by Parliament. That the members work hard and untiringly is undoubtedly tin ease, and the members owe it to themselves as to the country at large, to reorganise the conditions so that they will bn more in keeping with good and sound government, and for the betterment of the individual members themselres.