The Beginnings of Canadian Meteorology by Morley Thomas (review)

REVIEWS 285 Editor Michael Burrage andother contributors admit thatmuch early :•dologica1 theorizing restedon thissortof narrowethnocentric evidence. They believe thattheprofessions should bestudied in historical context, but they arenevertheless criticalof historians. Inclined to limitedinstitutional studies, fewhistorians, theyargue, study theprofessions collectively asa d•stinct social formation, muchless makeinter-professional orcross-cultural comparisons. Historians haveallbutignored theory andhavefailedto use the study oftheprofessions asameans ofunderstanding modem society. Thearrival ofhistorians ontheirterritory, moreover, hasbeena mixed blessing forsociologists. While theGaztarbe/ter learn more about professions, t•)•eir empirical findings sometimes undermine cherished sociological notions, such astheassumption thatthere was a casual relationship between therise oftheprofessions andtheriseofcapitalism. Burrage does notbelieve that h'morians andsociologists will joinhands incommon cause, butheisoptimistkabout developing a moreinformed theory of theprofessions thatcan •ccommodate bothhistorical andsociological evidence. These volumes area boldattempt to achieve thisloftyobjective. They _contain anassortment of interesting essays; theones byBurrage arepar6culary good. Otheressays worth reading arebyRandall Collins (theory), gayrnond Murphy (market closure), Charles McClelland (German profes- •sk)nals), and Hannes Siegrist (methodology). Essays by Inga Hellberg (Swedish veterinarians), Lucien Karpik (French lawyers), andKlas ,•n'nark (market closure)alsoare useful. These essays may notappeal toeveryone. Most arewritten bysociologists and areverytheoretical in content. This will do littleto overcome historians' traditional bias against theory. Moreover, apart fromMurphy, noauthor examines Canadian professions, oruses sex andgender asacategory ofanalysis. Aant Elzinga's essay onSwedish nursing education istheexception. These volumes demonstrate thatscholarship ontheprofessions is not exactly the 'intellectual shambles' prominent American sociologist Eliot ];reidson described in 1984. Nevertheless, in spite ofsome praiseworthy essays andthegood intentions oftheeditors, itislikely thatsociologists and hstorians willcontinue tohunt thesame quarry, never quite agreeing on ,/1•should have boththegunandtheammunition. j RODNEY MILLARD University of Western Ontario •k•e Beginnings ofCanadian Meteorology. MORLEY THOI•LS.S. Toronto: ECW Press 1991. Pp.vi,308,illus.$40.00 0œ course, everyone talks about theweather. Yet,ina country likeours, '•h]ch has somuch ofit, it iscurious thatsofewpeople have bothered •riting about it.AsMorley Thomas relates inthis first attempt attelling the 286 THE C__akNADIAN HISTORICAL REVIEW storyofthefoundational years ofthenational meteorological system, Canada wasnotsofarbehindthemore'civilized' nations in establishing a network observing andreporting stations, particularly considering thevastness ofthe countryand the paucityof resources. Professional historians of Canadian science are few and their 'to do' listis extensive, sowe mustrely onthe inspiredamateurs likeThomas to providethefirstsketches of various field• or institutions.In the caseof meteorology, few are better qualified• Thomas, a retired seniorofficerof the Atmospheric EnvironmentService (AeS). He hasbeenlabouring in the• archives for someyearsnowandh• published several articles onthehistory ofhisorganization. The Beginnings ofCanadian Meteorolog• isnot,strictly speaking, ahistory of the field ofmeteorology in Canada,although a considerable amountofd• aboutthe subject is included.Rather,it is a studyof the formationofthe CanadianMeteorological Service - theforerunnerof the modern•s -and thusmorea species ofinstitutional history, withaparticularly strongfocus the man who createdthe system,GeorgeTempleman Kingston.Thomas makesa strongcasefor honouringthis'unsunghero' of Canadiansdence (doesanyreaderrecognize thename?) bygivingusa sense of howhebuil• up hisservice step-by-step andthe importance of whathebequeathed tob• successors. At theoutset, Thomassays he willtakean 'operational approach' tothe studyof Canadianmeteorology, contrasting thisanglewith SuzanneZeller's 'Victorianthought'discussion of thesubject. He sounds almostapologetic; he need not be, as we clearlyrequireboth approaches and more. Yet, even within suchself-prescribed limits,therearebasicquestions left unanswered for thereader.Wearetoldmanytimeshowunreliable observers were.Many simplyrefusedto makereports,evenwhen they were paid. Why?Was observing theweatherboring? Difficult? Onerous? Anyoneunacquainted weatherobservation maywonderaboutthis,butThomasintimates thatit no easytask.We needtoknowwhyit isnot. Thestudy isessentially chronological, withtheTorontoObservatory astie institutional focus. Thomas bringsin background materialon international developments in both theoryand practiceat variouspoints,contextu• materialthatisnecessary forthecasual reader.Butthecasual readermust be warned: unless heor shehasa strong interest in thesubject, thiswillnot be an easyread.Had the manuscript beenin the handsof a gooduniversity press,with a competent copyeditor,the final productwouldhavebeen leastone-thirdshorterandmuchmorecoherent.Asit stands,the amount of repetitkmis practically intolerable: the chapters appearalmostto befreestanding essays with littlereference to whatwentbefore.The lackofthe steady hand ofagood editor also shows inthenumber oftypographical aM factual errors. REVIEWS •87 On balance,however,Thomas'sbook is built solidlyupon archival research andiswrittenin aworkmanlike manner.He delivers noless thanhe promises. Nodoubt someone willeventually incorporate this work intoa more comprehensive studyof Canadian meteorology, but,for thepresent, this work,wartsandall, isessential readingfor anyone wanting to under- •nd the development of science within the stateapparatusduring the nineteenth century, I•ICHARD A.JARRELL Atkinson College, YorkUniversity 1)•fferent Drummers: Banking andPolitics in Canada. ROBERT MACINTOSH. Toronto: Macmillan 1991.Pp.iv...