THE CAPTAIN SCOTT FUND.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 196, 18 August 1913, Page 6

THE CAPTAIN SCOTT FUND.

_75,00_ COLLECTED. ALLOCATION OF THE MONEY. (From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON, July 11. "Owing to the great liberality of the public, not only -at home, but in India, Canada, Australia, New Zealamd and other parts of the Empire, the large -uni ol" £70.000 has been placed at the dispos—l of ihe Committee for the various objects for which the fund was raised, which included (a) relief for the fanlilies of the dec—l _ed, in supplem—r—■ to the provision mad- 1 by the (Jrove.rnnront; (b) discharge of the liabilities of Hie expedition-, (c) publication of the scientific results; (_) the erection of a suitable memorial or memorials."

Thus opt its 1 he preface to -the report of the Committee which has had the duty of administering the Mansion House Fund for the widows and dependent-, of those who lost their lives in the Antarctic expedition commanded by tbe late Captain Scott. The Committer- ha-s now decided the dcsl'i—.ition oi the money provided by a- giiiic.rous public. Po.ssibly th.ir allocations may become-the subject of ooosidora.ble criticism. To some, 110 doubt, il. will seem that tbe Lord Mayor of London and liis colleagues have been unduly generous to the Scott family, who titka- .CIS.OOO out of the total of £.'54.000 apportioned to the families of those who died or have suffered grievously through Ibc expedition; to others it may seem that ton little has been given to the dependent— and connections of Edgar Evans. Potty Officer Abbott, and poor Brisscndon. who was drowned during survey-w.irk in Xew Zeala.r.d. Certainly the amounts awarded to these people do not appear to err on the side of generosity, and. seeing that the entire amount devoted to the relief of human beings is only a little over 45 per cent c# • the total oolleefed, tlie Oommittcv might weil have done something mere subs—imtial far the dependents of the lesser lights of tlie expedition. The sum* allocated in tbe human, direction tire us follows:— Lady Scott fS.r/10 TVter Sett a.n-m Mrs Scott and her two daughters fI.H-1 Mrs Wilson S,.*i(ii) Mrs Bowers and her two dau.hters 4..100 Mrs Evans and her three children l._%<) The Mother of Kdirnr Evans n.Tii Mrs Brissenilen atul her child 7ilo Mrs Abbott Tr.u Total £3-1.000 Mrns. Rri-senden is the widow of the sailor who was. accidentally d-rownio. in New Z(—land, a.ud Mrs. Abboit is tlie dependent mother of a chief petty ollieer who became insane in consequence of privatio.-ts endured. Concerning these n.llot 111 Nits the Committee state that; they thought that " subscribers would assent to sonic portion of the fund being set apart for their relief, though. perhaps, technically they were not within the scope of tlie appeal. In t'ni- matter the Committee have artdouble-.'!;.- '"lterprotod the wishes of the subscriber: alight it;-> to-. cerLiin point, ln.i! lli.'v wouM rert.ainlv not have been '•called over the c- ■„. " if they had given Mf--. llrissemleu and Mrs. Abbott double th" amount set forth. INDEPENDENCE ASSURED. As regards the allocation to the Scott family, it Jin to b" remetnhered that the Government his decided to ask Parliament (and no one doubts for a. moment that in llii.-i instance it will lie a ca.se of "Ask and ye shall receive") to sanction a special vote suflieient to provide for Lady Scott (in addition to the Admiralty pension ol" £200 11 \oav far herself and tr?.*, a year for ber son until he reaches the age of is) an I'minity of £100; for Mrs Scott, the mot her. and Mrs Campbell and Miss Grace Scott, the sisters of Captain Scott, n joint annuity of £l! 00; for Mrs Wilsor. the willow of Dr E. A. Wilson.

an iinn-.iiiy of C.100: for Mrs Evans, the willow of Polly-oilii-cr Fdwanl Evans (in addition to the pension and allowances awarded to her by the Admiralty amounting to lri'il •'. week) 11 further annuity of 12/fi a week for herself nml „/ a week for each of her three children up to the age of IS; fcr Mrs Hov.crs. the mother, und the two sisters of Lieut. Bowers, the Indian Government, in whose service he was. provide a pension of £100 per annum. t: o f:iT as .regards Lady Scott, then, sh■> should have b-id at least a. certain C3OO n. year he-:.i!is whatever her private fortune may bring in. whilst Captain Scott's mother and -i = ln-; should have at least U.TOO a year between them, apart from any private means tbev may possess. Tn the case of Mrs. Wilson, her Government grant, added +o the income which should be produced from the Mansion TTous-e Fund allocation, should give her fully £'100 : i year, in addition to their private rci-oi'.vces. Tn the ease of Mrs. Eviin.s. who has three young children, the Admiralty allow'imce. nitl= interest on tbe £ 1 SSI) allotted by the Committee should show her a cW.r income of about t'l4o a. year, whilst her children are dependent on he". In re-.rtrd I- ill the -urn* allocated it his been decided that the Public Trustee shall he cssoeiated with the widow or relatives in order that they rrra.v have the advantage of his snpnort and counsel, and that trust deeds be -pTPpai'-c----in each c.se. with such powers of investment, etc.. as the Public Trustee shall advi-o. In the case of Lady Scott, ■th.? Committee have decided that after her death ibe trust money shall go to her son on his ntticning tho age of ?.-,. Tn cases where there are n .t joint rccinicnls tbe gront will event u-.i.11v become the =ole jwiprerty of the ultimate ■survivor, who will have power to disros.p of the '.iw by will is be or she •rhink-s fit. Tn Mrc "Wilson's case, tin she Ins no deriendents, tbe same arrangement will prevail. A COSTLY PRODUCTION. It appears that the deficit on the expedition—to cover which Captain Scott and Lady Scott were said to_ [have pledged their private fortunes —will not Ik: nearly so big as was stated at first. Tailing into (lie credit side the amount Tcali-ed by tlie sale of the Terra Nova, -.tie deficit after payment of expenses and salaries, and the grant of a bonus to officers and men. the amount will be £5.110. This the Committee will make good from the fund. For the publication of the scientific results ol" the expedition tbe committo-p have assigned the sum of £17,500, which is thus provisionally allocated:—

Salaries of three biologists and three geologists for a probable period of three' years at £250 a year, with fees to outside experts and cost of materials, £0.000: salaries of two physicists and a draughtsman tor a probable period of three years a I L-oO a year, including cost of materials. £2.700: publication, including paper, printing, engraving, binding, and di'i'.ribution: — fl) Biological division, undertaken by trustees of J the British Museum; |2) "physical division, £6.000: (3) history of the expedi-

tion, with a detailed account of the sledge-journeys, equipment, instruments, etc., £2,000; (4) charts and maps required for the three series, £800; total, _ 17,500. The work of publication will be controlled by a committee of threes —one appointee! by the Royal Society, one by the Royal ' Geographical Society, and Staff Surgeon E. L. Atkinson, I-N., as representing the scientific staff of the British. Antarctic expedition. Captain Henry George Lyons, R.E., F.R.S., lias undertaken, without salary, the editorial charge of the preparation and publication of the scientific results of the expedition. £18,000 FOR MEMORIAL?. When all these amounts have been allocated ahout £IH,OOO will remain for a memorial for tbe deceased men. The committee recommend tbe following distribution of tllifi 6U_l: — (1) The provision of a suitable memorial tablet in 'bronze in St. Paul. Cutiicdral. s-.-ini-tion for this having been given by the Dean and Chapter. (-2) The erection of a sculptured monument in bronze in a public place in London, to contain the figures of the five dead men, by a sculptor of approved eminence.

I-'I) The balance, estimated at £10,000, to .be placed in the hands of trustees and devoted to an endowment fund in aid of future Polar research, the income to be applied cither annually for the encouragement of such work as may arise. or allowed {0 accumulate until sit'-.h an occasion presents itself. This is nil object which it is •believed won],! | iavfi c - m ,,- inerdid itself greatly (0 the late Captain Scott. .\i< the relative--, of the late Captain Oates require no assistance from the nation or the fund, a contribtition to the special memorial to this gallant officei. now being ra.eed by h : .n regiment, would seem to be particularly appropriate, anil the committee propose to make one, but they do not state the amount they purpose giving.