WEATHER REPORTING ENQUIRY COMMITTEE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5179, 27 October 1877, Page 1 (Supplement)

WEATHER REPORTING ENQUIRY COMMITTEE.

Sir Robert Douglas laid upon the table of tho House on Wednesday last the following report : Tho committee appointed to inquire into tho efficiency of, and necessity for, tho Weather Reporting and Storm Signalling Department ; also, to enquire into tho workiug of tho steamers Hineraoa and Stella, have come to tho following resolutions : WEATHER REPORTING. 1. That from evidence before tho committee tho labors of the Weather Reporting Department have been found to bo of value ; but as tho comraittea are not in a portion to determine at present whether tho advantage is sufficient to justify a permanent expenditure, they recommend that pending further information the department bo continued for another year. 2. That every facility should be given for transmitting weather telegrams, and those messages take precedence of all others when necessary. 3. That the Government should make arrangements at each seaport, where practi-

cable, to post up on a blackboard full particulars (when received by telegiaph) o' the sta‘e of tile weather, height of the barometer, and forecasts, as received from the Weather Deporting Department. 4. That the Government be requested to arrange that the harbormasters, pilots, and lighthouse keepers be supplied with and keep lowa, in which must be entered the state of the weather at fixed hours twice a day ; and that in such logs any special occurrences taking place during each day, such as sudden changes of wind, thunder, storms, &o„ be also entered, and that these logs bo forwarded to the Weather Reporting Department at the close of every month. STEAMERS HINEMOA AND STELLA. 1. 'that it is essential, for the proper ad-, ministration in connection with the lighting of the ’ coast and the management of the Marine Department, that a steamer should be retained by the Government specially for these purposes, and that the s.s. Stella bo so retained. 2. That the s.s. Hinemoa be laid up, and only used in cases of emergency.