BRITISH POLITICS

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10580, 11 March 1912, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS

CABLE NEWS

{United Press Association—By EU& trie Telegraph — Oopyright.)

THE EDUCATION BILL g STRONG GOVERNMENT SUPPORT. Received This Morning, 12.40 o'clock. LONDON, March 10. The Right Hon. Joseph Pease has declared that Sir George Marks' Bill is a practical step, and affected onefourth of the children in the voluntary schools. The Government, for 1913, has drawn up a comprehensive scheme on a national basis, ; and is prepared to give the present Bill the _ heartiest support, reserving suggestions for the committee stage, and urged sectarians to accept .what is common to the great body of Christians, or the country will adopt a secular system;'

negotiated it without difficulty. They encountered five steep glaciers, whore the going was hard, and detours were caused owing to the big crevasses. On the first day they climbed two thousand feet and camped. On the second day they ascended 4500 feet, and descended on the third day by a glacier dividing the coast mountains from the mountains further south. Then the longest ascent of all was commenced. The glacier was much broken and narrowed between two 15,000 feet" mountains.

A VAST PLATEAU.

On the fourth day from the barrier they reached a vast plateau, where they camped, ,the altitude being 10,600 ft. . Here they were compelled to kill twenty-four of the dogs, retaining eighteen for the dash to the South. . Bad weather, delayed their departure for four days. They re-stai4ed on the 25th, and encountered a furious blizzard and dense snow-drifts. Their faces were badly frozen*. , Gradually descending, they passed the 86th degree, and momentarily saw a mighty mountain through •Tile weather moderated on the 29th,-. and- the; sutfVshone.y..' ~■..', .". "... ■''.: "■•' They established'a;depot at the- foot i,o£<.£he* Devil's .GlacTet;' ; Itfau^ c 't^e>iß^,'pea&fevweEef, beautifully illuminated by. the bright sun. ,■■'■''•■■ The Devil's Glacier was negotiated in three days. Quitting this on December 3rd, they moved onward across ah ice plateau, which resembled a frozen, sea, and sounded hollow to the tread. One man and two dogs fell through. Thev reached the greatest altitude of 10.750 ft on December 6th, in latitude 87.40. From 85.25, the plateau gradually ■sloped downwards. THE COAL REACHED. After "five days' easy travelling the goal was sighted on, the afternoon of the 14th. There wtas a beautiful light, south east breeze. - . The temperature -was minus 23 degrees Celsius, 1 and the ground was perfect. At three o'clock all gathered round a silken flag on a vast plain alike in all directions for mile after mile. During the night they' circled the camp in a radius of eastern kilometres. For three days they took a series of careful observations of the position of the pole as close as was humanly possible Tvitli a sextant and artificial horizon erected in a little" tent. The precise spot was surmounted by the Norwegian flag .arid the Fram's pennant. They named the.place-"Polheim. The distance from the pole to the winter camp was 1400 kilometres. THE RETURN JOURNEY. The return was accomplished under favourable conditions, the base .being reached in January 25tih with, two sledges and eleven dogs. The-entire' lengith of newly-discover-ed mountains was 850 kilometres. Tliey were named the "Queen Maud Ranges." The expedition to King Edward s Land confirmed Captain Scotte discoveries.

THE CABLED REPORT. NEITHER CONFIRMED NOR DENIED. BY CAPTAIN AMUNDSEN. (Heceived This Morning, 1.6 o'clock.) HOBART, March 10. Captain Amundsen is not yet prepared to confirm or deny the statement reported by cable. THE RIVAL EXPEDITION, HAS -CAPTAIN SCOTT REACHED THE POLE. (By Tekgraph—Pi;ess Association.)

CimiSTGHURCH, Last Night. Mr J. J. Rinsey, interviewed regarding Captain Amundsen's expedition, said he still believed that if Capt. Amundsen reached the pole on December 14tih, Capt. Scott would e thero before that date. Ho had complete confidence that with the experience Captain Scott had on the ice, man for man, and equipment for equipment, it would be found that the EngLislhman readied the Pole first.