[ Act No. 131, May 22, 1901 ]
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A WEATHER BUREAU FOR THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AND APPROPRIATING EIGHT THOUSAND AND SIXTY-SIX DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS, IN MONEY OF THE UNITED STATES, FOR THE PURCHASE OF METEOROLOGICAL INSTRUMENTS AND APPARATUS AND THE INSTALLATION OF THE SAME.
By authority of the President of the United States, be it enacted by the United States Philippine Commission, that:
Section 1. A weather bureau is hereby established for the Philippine Islands. It shall be known as the Philippine Weather Bureau.
Section 2. The officers of this Bureau shall be: A Director, at an annual salary of two thousand five hundred dollars; three assistant directors, at an annual salary of one thousand eight hundred dollars each; and one corresponding secretary and librarian, at an annual salary of one thousand four hundred dollars. They shall be appointed by the Commission.
Section 3. The employees of the Weather Bureau shall be:
(a) for the central station: Three first-class observers, at an annual salary of seven hundred and twenty dollars each; two assistant observers and an assistant librarian, at an annual salary of six hundred dollars each; two assistant calculators, at an annual salary of three hundred dollars each; one first-class draftsman, at an annual salary of seven hundred and twenty dollars; one second-class draftsman, at an annual salary of six hundred dollars; one first-class mechanic, at an annual salary of seven hundred and twenty dollars; three assistant mechanics, at annual salaries of six hundred dollars, four hundred and twenty dollars, and three hundred dollars, respectively; two janitors, at an annual salary of one hundred and fifty dollars each; and two messengers, at an annual salary of one hundred and fifty dollars each.
(b) For the branch stations: Nine chief observers for first-class stations, at an annual salary of of six hundred dollars each; nine assistant observers for first-class stations, at an annual salary of one hundred dollars each; twenty-five observers for second-class stations, at an annual salary of three hundred dollars each; seventeen observers for third-class stations, at an annual salary of one hundred and eighty dollars each; twenty observers for rain stations, at an annual salary of ninety dollars each.
(c) All employees of the Weather Bureau shall be appointed by the Director, subject to the provisions of the Civil Service Act and of Act Numbered Twenty-five.
Section 4. The Director shall have general supervision and control over the work of the Bureau, and shall define the duties of the assistant directors, of the corresponding secretary and librarian, and of all employee. He shall maintain an efficient system of weather forecasts and storm warnings, and shall each day forward forecasts and storm warnings, if any, to the captains of all ports in the Archipelago which are in telegraphic communication with the capital, to the Chief Executive of the Insular Government, to the Commission, to the heads of all civil Departments and Bureaus in Manila, to the commandant of the naval station at Cavite, and to the public press of Manila, Cebu, and Iloilo. When dangerous storms threaten any portion of the Archipelago, he shall send telegraphic warnings to the threatened district, if practicable. Forecasts and storm warnings shall be sent to all branch stations in telegraphic communication with the central station, and there posted for the benefit of the public. Warnings of dangerous storms likely to strike the Asiatic coast, Formosa, or Japan, shall, if practicable, be communicated by telegraph to the directors of meteorological observatories situated within the threatened areas, or to such persons as may be officially designated by other governments to receive them. The Director shall further cause to be prepared a monthly bulletin and a monthly report. The monthly bulletin shall contain a brief resume of the chief meteorological phenomena of the preceding month, and a comparison between the phenomena observed and the normal conditions for the moth in question, as well as resume of the crop reports received from the branch stations. Five hundred copies of this bulletin in English and five hundred in Spanish shall be published by the Director for free public distribution. The monthly report shall contain the observations made at the central station and the branch stations, together with such discussions of them as the Director may deem profitable, also crop reports from the several stations. Five hundred copies shall be printed. It shall be published in the Spanish language until January first, nineteen hundred and two, and thereafter in the English language. The bulletin and report shall be published by the Manila Observatory, but the Insular Government shall pay the actual cost of paper, typesetting, presswork, and binding. The Director shall further cause such special reports and maps to be prepared from time to time as the Commission may authorize or direct. When it is deemed desirable to publish special reports or maps, the number of copies to be printed and the method of publication, shall, in each case, be fixed by the Commission.
Section 5. The central station of the Bureau shall be the Manila Observatory. A monthly expenditure of three hundred and seventy-five dollars, in money of the United States, is hereby authorized for the rental of the instruments, instrument rooms and towers, offices, library, printing room, lithographing room and printing press of the Manila Observatory, for the type necessary to print the monthly bulletins and reports which shall be furnished by the Director, and for the maintenance of instruments.
Section 6. There shall be, besides the central station, nine first-class stations, twnety-five second-class stations, seventeen third-class stations, and twenty rain stations. First-class stations shall be established and maintained at: Zamboanga, Mindanao; Cebu, on the Island of Cebu; Iloilo, Panay; Ormoc, Leyte; Daet, Province of Ambos Camarines, Luzon; Albay or Legaspi, Province of Albay, luzon; Baguio, Province of Benguet, Luzon; Dagupan, Proivnce of Pangasinan, Luzon; and Aparri, Province of Cagayan, Luzon. Second-class staions shall be established and maintained at: Jolo, on the Island of Jolo; Iligan, Mindanao; Dumaguete, Eastern Negros; Loon, Bohol; Maasin, Leyte; Calbayog, Samar; Concepcion, Panay; Tacloban, Leyte; Capiz, Panay; Sorsogon, Province of Sorsogon, Luzon; Pasacao, Province of Ambos Camarines, Luzon; Cabo Santiago, Province of Batangas, Luzon; Antimonan, Province of Tayabas, Luzon; Bacolod, in Western Negros; Mariveles or Corregidor, at the entrance to Manila Bay; Olongapo, Province of Zambales, Luzon; San Isidro, Province of Nueva Ecija, Luzon; Iba and Cape Bolinao, Province of Zambales, Luzon; Baler, District of Principe, Luzon; Bayambong, Province of Nueva Vizcaya, Luzon; Vigan, Province of Ilocos Sur, Luzon; Tuguegarao, Province of Cagayan, Luzon; Laoag, Province of Ilocos Norte, Luzon; Cabo Bojeador, Province of Ilocos Norte, Luzon. Third-class stations shall be established and maintained at: Mati, Mindanao; Butuan, Mindanao; Caraga, Mindanao; Tuburan, Cebu; Surigao, Mindanao; San Jose de Buenavista, Panay; Palanoc, Masbate; Romblon, on the Island of Romblon; Batangas, Province of Batangas, Luzon; Nueva Caceres, Province of Ambos Camarines, Luzon; Calapan, Mindoro; Mamburao, Mindoro; Tarlac, Province of Tarlac, Luzon; and Cabo Engaņo, Province of Cagayan, Luzon. Rain stations shall be established and maintained at: Isabela de Basilan, Basilan; Dinagat, on the Island of Dinagat; Puerto Princesa, Palawan; Cuyo, on the Island of Cuyo; Tagbilaran, Province of Bohol; Borongan, Province of Samar; San Pascual, Island of Burias; Ragay, Province of Ambos Camarines, Luzon; Santa Cruz, Province of Laguna, Luzon; Cavite, Province of Cavite, Luzon; Morong, Province of Morong, Luzon; Balanga, Province of Bataan, Luzon; Masinloc, Province of Zambales, Luzon; Cabanatuan, Province of Nueva Ecija, Luzon; Carranglan, Province of Nueva ecija, Luzon; San Fernando, Province of Union, Luzon; Carig, Province of Isabela, Luzon; Ilagan, Province of Isabela, Luzon; Cando, Province of Ilocos Sur, Luzon, and Alcala, Province of Cagaya, Luzon: Provided, That if, as the work of establishing stations progresses, the Director shall find that in some instances, places other than those named in this section are better suited to the requirements of the weather service, he is authorized to change the location of second-class stations, third-class stations or rain stations, in his discretion.
Section 7. At the central station hourly meteorological observations shall be made, and a continuous record of meteorological phenomena shall be kept. Weather forecasts and storm warnings shall be prepared and sent out as hereinbefore prescribed, and all reports shall be prepared for publication. Such other meteorological work shall be performed as the Director may require.
Section 8. At all first-class stations, hourly meteorological records shall be kept and compiled, and they shall be forwarded to the central station by mail at regular intervals, to be prescribed by the Director, together with monthly reports as to the state of the crops in the vicinity. Such daily telegraphic reports of the state of the weather shall be forwarded to the central station as the Director may require.
Section 9. At all second-class stations six daily meteorological observations shall be made at times to be specified by the Director, and the results for each months shall be complied and forwarded to the central station before the end of the next succeeding month. Such daily telegraphic reports of the state of the weather shall be forwarded to the central station as the Director may require. Monthly crop reports shall be forwarded to the central station by mail.
Section 10. At all third-class stations two daily meteorological observations shall be made, at hours to be fixed by the Director. They shall be forwarded to Manila by wire, if possible, otherwise by mail monthly crop reports shall be forwarded by mail.
Section 11. At all rain stations there shall be recorded the daily maximum and minimum temperature, barometric readings at six antemeridian and two postmeridian, and daily rainfall. Reports from rain stations shall be forwarded by mail to the central station, together with monthly crop reports.
Section 12. Officers or employees of the Bureau employed in the establishment of stations shall be allowed their actual and necessary traveling expenses and the actual cost of transportation of instruments, apparatus and shelters for the same. The nine first-class stations shall be established by the Director immediately, and the other stations authorized in section six as soon as practicable. Employees for the several stations shall be appointed as they are established.
Section 13. The officers and employees of the Weather Bureau shall make such observations and reports on astronomical, magnetic and seismic phenomena as the Director may prescribe.1aшphi1 The results of such observations may be included in the monthly reports when their publication is deemed desirable by the Director.
Section 14. The Director shall cause standard time to be furnished to the city of Manila, at noon daily, and to all branch stations in telegraphic communication with the central station, at eleven antemeridian, daily. He shall further provide for the free rating of all chronometers brought to the Manila Observatory for this purpose.
Section 15. The following sums in money of the United States are hereby appropriated for the purposes named:
(a) For the purchase of additional instruments and apparatus for the equipment of nine first-class stations, and for suitable shelters for the same, one thousand seven hundred and eight dollars and fifty cents.
(b) For the erection of shelters and the installation of instruments for nine first-class stations, five hundred dollars.
(c) For the purchase of instruments and apparatus sufficient to equip twenty-five second-class stations, for shelters for the same and for cost of installation, four thousand two hundred and fifty dollars.
(d) For the purchase of instruments and apparatus sufficient to equip seventeen third-class stations, and for the installation of the same, one thousand and eighty-eight dollars.
(e) For the purchase of instruments and apparatus sufficient to equip twenty rain stations, five hundred and twenty dollars.
Section 16. This Act shall take effect on its passage.
Enacted, May 22, 1901.
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