UPSETTING THE SEASONS

Taranaki Daily News, 2 August 1930, Page 10 (Supplement)

UPSETTING THE SEASONS

BROADCASTING BLAMED. EXPERTS REJECT THEORY. ‘ From Victoria hah conie the cry. that radio broadcasting has upset the seasons j that is is responsible for serious drought! in several localities..to the prosperity of which regular downfalls are vital. Sydney people are unable to. see any point in this argument, for there is more broadcasting in this city than in any other place in the Commonwealth, yet it has rained here every day for nearly three weeks. This seems to explode the idea that broadcasting causes droughts. Still, the Victorian claim was regarded as of sufficient importance to attract the attention of the Commonwealth Meteorologist (Mr. Hunt). Mr. Hunt promptly dismissed , the charge that wireless broadcasting v had caused abnormal fluctuations in Australian rainfall. He therefore declined to fall in with the suggestion that the wireless stations should be down for a month so that a test could be carried out. It was claimed; for instance, th.at the adverse effect of . broadcasting had been manifest in some districts since 1924 when the large stations in Victoria began to transmit continuous daily programmes. Mr. Hunt points out that in April, 1923. it was practically rainless in. Northern Victoria, and was the only entirely rainless month recorded in Melbourne. .The rain which fell in May, 1923, was hailed with delight as the salvation of the wheat crops. Similarly, in May of thia year, the rain broke a long dry spell. Although the rain in May last coincided with great broadcasting activity, it was, on the average, about three times as good as the rainfall in May, 1923. In / May, 1923, the rain in the Malee district ranged from 42 to 43 points; but last May they ranged from 109 to 310 points. Mr. Hunt’s finding has been embodied in a special report to the Prime Minister, and in view of its nature it is certain that no action will be taken to stop broadcasting on the ground that it is causing tho seasons to be. topsy-turvy.