CORRESPONDENCE. (GOVERNMENT OBSERVATORIES.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1511, 11 March 1882, Page 3

CO RRESPONDENCE. ( G O VERNMENT OBSERVATORIES.

TO THE KDITOK. Sir —There was always something very peculiar, to my mind, in the way that (Governments do things. They go to a lot of trouble and expense, in establishing observatories in all the colonies, and, I suppose, the observations are taken with a view to be of future uss, by showing what &oit of weather was experienced at different periods, of the year, and after due companion, to presume that this is the soit of weather we may expect at that time in succeeding years. Yet whilst they take all this tiouble, and put the colonies to the expense, they have defiance cast at them and they take no notice of it whatever. Heic is an example • — The Bishop of Melbourne has hesitated to comply with the request to issue pr.iyoi.s for rain, , is nobody heeded the warning to the conservation of water, and it seemed to him absolutely improper to cry to God, and negleot His own providential indications, of Hit, will." What aie we to .suppose from this? Can the Jii&hop of Melbourne, by issuing prayers, produce nun against the laws of nature ? It the Bishop of Melbourne can do this, cannot every other bishop do the same ? And, if this is so, what is the use of the observatoiies, unless the observations and expectancies given, aie certified to by the seveial bishops, with a guaiantee that during the time specified, they will not interfere with the weather. This is certainly allowing too much power to remain in the hands of the Church, and wherever an observatory is established, for which the country pays, the Government ought to compel the bishops under severe penalties, to refrain from interfering with the weather ; unless this is done, I think it a cuiel hardship that we poor taxpayers should have to pay an " observer," when the bishop can step in I and upset everything with a few prayers. I think it would be much better to come to an arrangement with the bishop, and do away with the observers, as after all if we only studied our own interests, it is not a man that can only tell us what is likely to take placo we want, but the one that can bring the rain on when he likes, and of course, having the tap in bis hand, he could also shut it off when we were getting too much. The only thing would be to look out, and have it definitely settled what the cost would be, in case, once they got us by the Tvool, they would put on too heavy a water rate. — I am, tvO. , Knock.

It is stated that 150 butter and cheese factories have been built in lowa during ISBI, making a total of 450 now in that state. A firm of Liverpool merchants has shipped 100 tons of potatoes to New York, purchased in Dublin at 7£d a bushel. The total amount of the accumulated arreai-s of selectors' payments in Victoria is now £338,000. It is astonishing how old jokes and witticisms ai'e re-produced over and over again. One of Albert Smith's" witticisms, written fully forty years ago^ is just now going the rounds of the colony. " Definition of a jntuffdra'thirigOthat 'holds a lady's hand without squeezing it." The companions to^thigjjokVwfere— '<• Definition of a" spoon— a thing often near a lady's lips without kissing them." ''-The shftpe of a kiss— eliptical (a lip fickle.)"