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PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO PARTICULAR BRANCHES OF THE

cal observa

DEPARTMENT.

WEATHER BUREAU.

Meteorologi- SEC. 221. The Secretary of War shall provide for taktions: storm ing meteorological observations at the military stations signals. in the interior of the continent, and at other points in the

etc.

Signal

sta

States and Territories, and for giving notice on the northern lakes and sea-coast, by magnetic telegraph and marine signals, of the approach and force of storms. [R. S.]

SEC. 222. The Secretary of War shall provide, in the tions, reports, system of observations and reports in charge of the Chief Signal-Officer of the Army, for such stations, reports, and signals as may be found necessary for the benefit of agriculture and commercial interests. [R. S.]

Telegraph

lines connect

tions.

SEC. 223. The Secretary of War is authorized to estabing signal sta- lish signal-stations at light-houses and at such of the lifesaving stations on the lake or sea-coast as may be suitably located for that purpose, and to connect the same with such points as may be necessary for the proper discharge of the signal-service by means of a suitable telegraph-line in cases where no lines are in operation, to be constructed, maintained, and worked under the direction of the Chief Signal-Officer of the Army, or the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Treasury; and the use of the life-saving stations as signal-stations shall be subject to such regulations as may be agreed upon by said officials. [R. S.]

[A proviso excepting maps, charts, bulletins, and minor reports of the Weather Bureau from certain limitations imposed upon the printing of other Government publications may be found on page 89, ante.]

[A proviso excepting the printing office of the Weather Bureau from the control of the Public Printer may be found on page 87, ante.]

Specific ap- To pay * * *
for weather maps, * * *

propriation necessary

for making plates and publishing and hereafter none of such weather maps, work shall be done except under specific appropriations therefor made in advance. [24 Stat. L. 266.]

94

Deficiency appropriation act of August 4, 1886, ch. 903.

instru

and the Secretary of War, as he may think Meteorologiproper, may cause to be issued such meteorological instru-can ments may be ments (not exceeding one set valued at fifteen dollars issued. to any one county) to voluntary unpaid observers, in order to secure meteorological data from such observers, under regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of War, * *** [26 Stat. L. 398.]

Sundry civil appropriation act of August 30, 1890, ch. 837.

An act to increase the efficiency and reduce the expenses of the Signal Corps of the Army, and to transfer the Weather Service to the Department of Agriculture.

[Act of October 1, 1890, ch. 1266, 26 Stat. L. 653.]

ties of Signal

ferred to

De

That the civilian duties now performed by the Signal Civilian duCorps of the Army shall hereafter devolve upon a bureau Corps transto be known as the Weather Bureau, which, on and after partment of July first, eighteen hundred and ninety-one, shall be es- Agriculture. tablished in and attached to the Department of Agriculture, and the Signal Corps of the Army shall remain a part of the Military Establishment under the direction of the Secretary of War, and all estimates for its support shall be included with other estimates for the support of the Military Establishment. [26 Stat. L. 653.]

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Weather

Bu

SEC. 3. That the Chief of the Weather Bureau, under Chief of the direction of the Secretary of Agriculture, on and reau; duties. after July first, eighteen hundred and ninety-one, shall have charge of the forecasting of weather, the issue of storm warnings, the display of weather and flood signals for the benefit of agriculture, commerce, and navigation, the gauging and reporting of rivers, the maintenance and operation of sea-coast telegraph lines and the collection and transmission of marine intelligence for the benefit of commerce and navigation, the reporting of temperature and rain-fall conditions for the cotton interests, the display of frost and cold-wave signals, the distribution of meteorological information in the interests of agriculture and commerce, and the taking of such meteorological observations as may be necessary to establish and record the climatic conditions of the United States, or as are essential for the proper execution of the foregoing duties. [26 Stat. L. 653.

Force of Weather Bu

SEC. 4. That the Weather Bureau shall hereafter consist of one Chief of Weather Bureau and such civilian reau; compenemployees as Congress may annually provide for and as sation of Chief. may be necessary to properly perform the duties devolving on said bureau by law, and the chief of said bureau shall receive an annual compensation * * * and be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate:

*

* *

[26 Stat. L. 653.]

force of Sig

SEC. 5. That the enlisted force of the Signal Corps, ex- Transfer of cepting those hereinafter provided for, shall be honorably nal Service to discharged from the Army on June thirtieth, eighteen Department of hundred and ninety-one, and such portion of this entire

Agriculture.

Weather Bu

reau to be ap

with Depart

culture.

force, including the civilian employees of the Signal Service, as may be necessary for the proper performance of the duties of the Weather Bureau shall, if they so elect, be transferred to the Department of Agriculture, and the compensation of the force so transferred shall continue as it shall be in the Signal Service on June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninety-one, until otherwise provided by law: Provided, That skilled observers serving in the Signal Service at said date shall be entitled to preference over other persons not in the Signal Service for appointment in the Weather Bureau to places for which they may be properly qualified until the expiration of the time for which they were last enlisted. [26 Stat. L. 653.]

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SEC. 9. That on and after July first, eighteen hundred propriated for and ninety-one, the appropriations for the support of the ment of Agri- Signal Corps of the Army shall be made with those of other staff corps of the Army, and the appropriations for the support of the Weather Bureau shall be made with those of the other bureaus of the Department of Agriculture, and it shall be the duty of the Secretary of Agriculture to prepare future estimates for the Weather Bureau which shall be hereafter specially developed and extended in the interests of agriculture. [26 Stat. L. 654.]

Changes

in force of

reau authorized.

*

*

*

the Secretary is hereby authorized to make Weather Bu-such changes or assignment to duty in the personnel or detailed force of the Weather Bureau for limiting or reducing expenses as he may deem necessary. Stat. L. 737.]

* *

** [28

Agricultural appropriation act of March 2, 1895, ch. 169. Similar provisions appeared in the acts of August 8, 1894, ch. 238, 28 Stat. L. 273; March 3, 1893, ch. 214, 27 Stat. L. 742; July 5, 1892, ch. 147, 27 Stat. L. 81; March 3, 1891, ch. 544, 26 Stat. L. 1051.

Promotions

in Weather Bu

ized.

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reau author- tary is hereby authorized to make promotions in the service without prejudice to those transferred from the Signal Service of the War Department. * * * [28 Stat. L. 273.]

Weather sig. nals on mail cars.

Agricultural appropriation act of August 8, 1894, ch. 238. Identical provisions appeared in the acts of March 3, 1893, ch. 214, 27 Stat. L. 742; July 5, 1892, ch. 147, 27 Stat. L. 82.

That the Secretary of Agriculture, in cooperation with the Postmaster-General, may arrange a plan by which there shall be displayed on all cars and other conveyances used for transporting United States mail, suitable flags or other signals to indicate weather forecasts, cold-wave

warnings, frost warnings, and so forth, to be furnished by the Chief of the Weather Bureau. [29 Stat. L. 108.] Agricultural appropriation act of April 25, 1896, ch. 140. Similar provisions appeared in acts of August 8, 1894, ch. 238, 28 Stat. L. 274; March 2, 1895, ch. 169, 28 Stat. L. 738.

of old

ized.

tele

That hereafter all telegrams pertaining to the business Destruction of the Weather Bureau may be destroyed after they are grams authorthree years old, and the accounts based thereon have been settled by the Treasury Department; and the present accumulation of these old telegrams may be destroyed. [31 Stat. L. 204.]

Agricultural appropriation act of May 25, 1900, ch. 555.

re

port of Chief

reau;

number

of copies.

SEC. 73. Extra copies of documents and reports shall Annual be printed promptly when the same shall be ready for of Weather Bupublication, and shall be bound in paper or cloth as directed by the Joint Committee on Printing, and shall be of the number following in addition to the usual number: * * * Of the Annual Report of the Chief of the Weather Bureau, four thousand copies; one thousand copies for the Senate, two thousand copies for the House, and oe thousand copies for the Bureau. [28 Stat. L. 612.]

Act of January 12, 1895, ch. 23.

ing forecasts,

Any person who shall knowingly issue or publish any Counterfeltcounterfeit weather forecasts or warnings of weather con- etc.; punishditions, falsely representing such forecasts or warnings ment. to have been issued or published by the Weather Bureau, or other branch of the Government service, or shall molest or interfere with any weather or storm flag or weather map or bulletin displayed or issued by the United States Weather Bureau, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof, for each offense, be fined in a sum not exceeding five hundred dollars, or be imprisoned not to exceed ninety days, or be both fined and impriso ed, in the discretion of the court. [33 Stat. L. 864.]

Agricultural appropriation act of March 3, 1905, ch. 1405.
Similar provisions appear in the acts of April 25, 1896, ch.
140, 29 Stat. L. 108; March 2, 1895, ch. 169, 28 Stat. L. 737;
August 8, 1894, ch. 238, 28 Stat. L. 274.

From the agricultural appropriation act of March 4, 1907, ch. 2907, 34

Stat. L. 1256.

expenses.

Bu

GENERAL EXPENSES, WEATHER BUREAU: Every expendi- General ture requisite for and incident to the equipment and main- weather tenance of meteorological observation stations in the reau. United States, in the West Indies or on adjacent coasts, in the Hawaiian Islands, and in Bermuda, including the purchase of stationery, furniture, instruments, stormwarning towers, and all other necessary supplies and ma

30937-08- -7

and tions.

publica

terials; for rents of offices; for traveling expenses; for freight and express charges; for telegraphing, telephoning, or cabling reports and messages, rates to be fixed by the Secretary of Agriculture by agreement with the companies performing the service; for maintenance and repair of Weather Bureau telegraph, telephone, and cable lines; for investigations on climatology; for river, rain, snow, ice, crop, and aerial observations and reports; for storm, hurricane, and other observations, warnings, and reports; including pay of special observers and display men, none of whom shall receive more than twenty-five dollars per month; and including * * for the maintenance of a printing office in the city of Washington, including the purchase of necessary supplies and materials for printing weather maps, bulletins, circulars, forms, monthly reviews, and other publications, and for pay of assistant foremen, proof readers, compositors, pressmen, lithographers, and folders and feeders, when necessary; [34 Stat. L. 1258.]

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Sale of maps and hereafter the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to sell any surplus maps or publications of the Weather Bureau, and the money received from such sales shall be deposited in the Treasury of the United States, section two hundred and twenty-seven of the Revised Statutes notwithstanding; * * * [34 Stat. L. 1258.] Fuel, lights, FUEL, LIGHTS, AND REPAIRS, WEATHER BUREAU: Fuel, Weather lights, repairs, and other expenses for the care and presBureau. ervation of the public buildings and grounds of the Weather Bureau in the city of Washington, [34 Stat. L. 1258.]

and repairs,

etc.,

expenses,

reau.

* *

Contingent CONTINGENT EXPENSES, WEATHER BUREAU: Stationery Weather Bu and blank books; furniture and repairs to same; freight and express charges; subsistence, care, and purchase of horses and vehicles for official purposes only; repairs of harness; advertising, dry goods, twine, mats, oils, paints, glass, lumber, hardware, ice, washing towels, and other miscellaneous supplies and expenses not otherwise provided for and necessary for the practical and efficient work of the Weather Bureau in the city of Washington, * [34 Stat. L. 1258.]

sence of em

reau outside of

*

* and the employees of the Weather Bureau outLeaves of ab- side of the city of Washington, may hereafter, in the disployees of cretion of the Secretary of Agriculture, without addiWeather Bu- tional expense to the Government, be granted leave of Washington. absence not to exceed fifteen days in any one year, which leave may in exceptional and meritorious cases where such an employee is ill, be extended in the discretion of the Secretary of Agriculture, not to exceed fifteen days additional in any one year; * ** [34 Stat. L. 1258.]

*

Similar provisions appeared in the acts for the previous ten years. (See 34 Stat. L. 672; 33 Stat. L. 863; 33 Stat. L. 278; 32 Stat. L. 1149; 32 Stat. L. 287; 31 Stat. L. 924; 31 Stat. L. 203; 30 Stat. L. 958; 30 Stat. L. 339; 30 Stat. L. 10.)

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