ANTARCTIC FUNDS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1124, 11 May 1911, Page 5

ANTARCTIC FUNDS.

SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR DR. MAWSON. NEW ZEALANDER GIVES £1000. By Teleeraph—Press Association-Copyrieht London, May H.. The "Daily Mail" states that six thousand pounds has been subscribed in response to Sir Ernest Sliackteton's appeal oa behalf of Dr. Mawson's expedition. Tha subscriptions include one from Mr. Samuel 'Hordern, of Sydney--£2500-vhile Mr. Sandow, Lord Strathcona, ami an anonymous Melbourne resident gave £1000 each. A New Zealander has given Dr. Mawson's expedition £W(). THE REQUEST FOR .£20,003. (Rec. May 10, 10.20 p.m.) Melbourne, May 10. The Federal Cabinet has decided that the request for a grant of .£20,000 for Sγ. Mawson's Antarctic Expedition must oe left to Parliament to deal with. APPEAL TO THE COMMONWEALTH. A deputation, composed of the Lord Mover of Melbourne, Professor Masjon, M Melbourne- University, and Mr. H. A. Hunt, Commonwealth Meteorologist, last week asked the Acting-Prime Minister to make the position of the Commonwealth Government a little more dehnite regarding its proposed contribution towards tiic expenses of the Antarctic exploration under Dr. Mawion. Professor Masson said they "wanted some further encouragement in regard to the expedition. In March a deputation asked Mr. Batchelor to guarantee ,£20,000, wlilch would be half the total* estimated expenses. Mr. Batchelor seemed to say that the amount.asked for was too high, but he:promised to lay the matter before Cabinet and give the'deputation a reply the first, week in April. It was subsequently announced in the press that the Cabinet had decided to let Parliament decide the matter. Dr. Mowson had since cabled from London statin? that he wanted immediate command of .£IO,OOO. The subscriptions promised by the public up to Iho present totalled only .£BOO or .£7OO, and the deputation 10-day wanted a nioro definite statement of the 'altitude of the ■Government.

Mr.: Hughes asked what might the Commonwealth hope for by way cf return, either in scientific results or quasi-com-mercial enterprises? '

Professor. said that the expedition proposed to investigate 2000 miles of unknown rocky formation, and mineral finds of great value might ho made. Chiefly, however, tile object of the expedition was scientific. / • Mr. Hunt said that in regard to meteorology the expedition 'would, do work of the highest value to Australia. Tho South Polar, regions probably held tho secret of Australian weather conditions.

Mr. ■Hughes said ho had not (ho slightest doubt (hat the chief material advantage to Australia would result from meteorological data. He thought Uiat tho expedition should be looked at from its scientific standpoint. I Professor Masson: Still it is not unlikely that valuable minerals will be found, as-they were in Alaska, which was at one time under offer to Great Britain, and was refused.

Mr. "Hughes shid that there was plenty of opening up work to be done for sett.le"inont.iu Australia without going to the. Antarctic. He was heartily in favour of the Commonwealth, doing something.