IN REFUTATION

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 154, 29 June 1912, Page 11

IN REFUTATION

WEATHER REPORTING. A CANTERBURY COMPLAINT. The reliability or otherwise of the predictions of the Meteorological Department as regards Canterbury were referred to by the Hon. G. Laurenson, Minister in charge of the Weather Bureau, in a conversation with a Post representative last night. In the Christchurch Press and in the Dominion, said the Minister, there appeared some criticisms by Professor Arnold Wall. Mr. Laurenson was making the statement because the department had found Mr. D. C. Bates to be an enthusiastic and capable public officer and ho was helpless to reply, and to attack an officer in such a position was not what ho called playing the game. Profes&or Wall might be an excellent authority on poetry and literature, but he should not set himself up as an authority on weather reports. On 12th Octoben, Mr. Bates wired out : "Rain probable most parts." Professor "Wall stated! that the rainfall for Canterbury was nil. As a matter of fact, the reports to Mr. Bates showed that rain fell in 61 per cent, of tho reporting stations for the whole of New Zealand and iv 28 per cent of the stations in Canterbury. On the 13th Mr. Bates advised : "Expect rain generally." 'Professor Wall described the Canterbury rainfall ab nil. Rain was reported from 68 per, cent, of tlie New Zealand stations and 28 per ' cent, of the Canterbury stations. . On the 14th : "Heavy rain probable generally." Professor WalPft version : .02 inches. Rain fell at 75 per cent, of the New Zealand stations and 91 per cent, of th© Canterbury stations. On the 17th : "Squally and showery weather" ; Professor Wall : .095. Ruin fell at 77 per c&nt. of the New Zealand stations and at 79 per cent, of the Canterbury stations! On the 18th : "Cold and stormy weather; heavy rain most parts; hail and snow in the south." Piofessor Wall. .05. Rain 'fell at 86 per cent, of the New Zealand stations and at 91 per cent, of the Canterbury stations. On the 19th : "Much rain probable." Professor Wall : .01. Rain fell at 73 per cent, of the New Zealand stations and 57 per cent, of the Canterbury stations. ' On the 20th : "Cold and Showery." Professor Wall : .041. Rain at 31 per cent. Now Zealand stations and 21 per cent. Canterbury stations. , " On the 25th : "Stormy weather generally. Professor Wall t .035. Rain at 48 per cent. New Zealand stations and 77 per cent. Canterbury Btaticn. On the 26th : "Rain probabl© generally." Professor Wall : .12. Rain at 61 per cent. New Zealand stations and 28 per cent. Canterbury stations. On the 27th : "Indications rain all parts. Professor Wall : .15. Rain 80 per cent. New Zealand stations and 74 per cent. Canterbury stations. On the 28th : "Rain expected." Professor Wall : .15. Rain \t 34 per cent. New Zealand stations and 30 per cent. Canterbury stations. "Under these circumstances," proceeded Mr. Laureiiscn, "It becomes my duty to put the real facts before the public and to leave the people to judge. In the last Year Book Mr. Bates makes special reference to tho peculiarity of Canterbury climate and the difficulties of. dealing with anything in the nature of weather prophecy. There is too much sunshine and too little rain. Only to-day a letter has come to hand fi-om'Fuirlie, m which the writer says tho reports from. Mr. Lates so far this winter have been highly accurate in the Mackenzie Country and are looked for eagerly by all the settlers. So pleased are the settlers with the prophetic* that steps aro being taken to connect the station*, by telephone, for iniiKube*, of weather reporting."- v