Eltham Fire.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 10, 13 January 1904, Page 2

Eltham Fire.

(Per Press Association.) ELTH'AM, Jain. 12. An inquiry wok held into cl» e cause of thw fire which destroyed Wadev anid New-love's premises on the mornm a ol the 4th. The jury returned a vend,ft "Tlmt we are of opinion there is not sufficient evidence to show -how the lire originated, but we coiisider line evidence giwn was un--atisi'actory and contradictory." Forecasting the Season. IMPRO VED~METICH fOl7o<i ICAr SERVICE WANTED. (Per Presa Association.) I'I'NEDIN, Jan. 12. Jn his presidential address to the Association for the Advancement of Sc.enco Irolessor (Iregpry strongly advocated the necessity and importance from a nieleriological standPoint of more closely studying u lt , oceans surrounding 'Australia. There was abundant evidence to prove that the ocean currents varied from vear to year and thero was everv reason to believo that these irregulii movements of the sea were the main cause of irregular variations of seasons. I'cderal Australia wanted a service which would adopt some lull and prompt system of publication for Australia and New Zealand. Nothing would add more to our prosperity than a knowledge a year or two ahead of the seasons that wero coming. They were already determined, and advancing upon us as silently and us relent-lessly-as fate, in the southern ocean the conditions were much simpler than those in the North Atlantic, and we might expect much greater certainty of weather predictions. Far out in Uie great southorp owjpin fundamental processes; which Wore determining the rainfall a year or two ahead were' pussing unnoticed nnd unknown. The 'dragon of uncertainty which now pressed upon the agriculturalists could be defeated by foreknowledge.