WEATHER FORECASTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLI, Issue 20340, 12 February 1936, Page 10

WEATHER FORECASTS

NORTH AUCKLAND CRITICISM By Telegraph—Frees Association AUCKLAND, February 11 "That in view of misleading weather reports published daily in the press, which can only be classed as dead reckonings or rule of thumb, we request that the Meteorological Department be reorganised.” This was a remit moved by Mr T. D. Bathgate, of Kaipara, at the meeting of the Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union, to-day. The mover said that for the last few months the forecasts had been mostly “scattered showers,” and it was a common saying now that when scattered showers were prophesied one could look forward to a deluge. The first warning of the recent storm was the fall of the barometer. In his district 300 or 400 pigs and sheep were lost which, with a warning, might have been removed to safe ground. "The Government is paying a salary to a man who is not doing his job,” Mr Bathgate added. Mr J. H. Fumiss said several lives had been lost because no warning was given. An amendment, moved by Mr A. B. Moore, “that the Government be requested to place larger financial resources at the disnosal of the Department,” lapsed for want of a seconder. The remit was adopted in the following form: "That this meeting requests that the Government Meteorological Department be reorganised.”