Description | Present at the meeting: Professor A Schuster in the chair; Sir Joseph Larmor, Secretary of the Royal Society; Dr C Chree; Sir G H Darwin; Mr F W Dyson; Professor H F Newall; Dr W N Shaw; Professor H H Turner
1. ' The Minute of Council, dated 7 December 1911, appointing the Committee, was read.
2. The Minutes of the previous meeting were read and signed.'
3. Correspondence with the India Office on the subject of an appointment of a meteorologist to the Simla Meteorological Office was read [letter copied into minutes] and Resolved - That the following statement be communicated to the Council of the Royal Society with a request for its transmission to the India Office if the circumstances render that course desirable; "The Observatories Committee, after reading the correspondence which passed between the India Office and the Royal Socity in June and October last, relating to the appointment of an Imperial Meteorologist in the Simla Meteorological Office, express their great regret that the staff of European assistants in that office has been reduced. In the opinion of the Committee such reduction is likely to operate greatly to the detriment of the scheme of observations adopted in 1902 by the Imperial Govenment. If this scheme be interrupted in its present stage, the preparations and organization of ten years will to a great extent be rendered fruitless. The observations of the Upper Air initiated ten years ago, and the investigations into Atmospheric Electricity upon which Dr Simpson was engaged, may have an important bearing on the development of the monsoon forecasts, in which great progress has been made during the period mentioned. The Committee therefore strongly recommend that another permanent Assistant of high scientific qualifications be appointed without delay, in order to ensure the continuance of the Upper Air observations by Mr Field."
4. The programme of Research Work of the Board of Scientific Advice for 1911-12 was discussed. ' |