DEATH OF A CABINET MINISTER

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2995, 5 February 1917, Page 4

DEATH OF A CABINET MINISTER

HON. DR. M'NAB

A BUSY LIFE REVIEWED

The Hon. Dr. M'Nab, Minister of Justice and Marine, and Acting-Postmaster* General, died at tlie Bowen St. Private Hospital at 10 o'clock on Saturday evening. He had been unwell for si few weeks, but until very recently no. serious developments were feared. The* end camp by a sudden collapse, due tol heart failure. The Hon. Robert M'Nab, MX,LL.B., Litt.D., was one of the most/ highly esteemed and ono of the most scholarly men in New Zealand politics.; He was the oldest son of Mr. Alexan j der M'Nab, of Kuapdale estate, near! Gore. The- father of the house to Australia from Scotland, in 1540,and to New Zealand in 1855, settling in Southland on the piece of land still held by the family at Knapdale. For. some years he was Speaker of thep Provincial Council of Southland. Mr. Robert M'Nab was born in 1864. Hβ,'' was educated at tho Invercargill Grammar School, and at the University of-

Otago. He had a distinguished career. at college. He graduated B.A. io 1883, and was senior scholar in mathe* matics the same year. The next year >; when he was still only twenty years of age, he took the M.A. degree with honours. He chose the law as his profession, and entered the office of the firm of Smith, Chapman, Sinclair, and White. He took the degree of LL.8.,and was admitted to the Bar in 1889.He removed the following year to ln\'ercargill, and there practised his profession for "six years, at the end of which -period he entered the Housq as member for Mataiira,.+-he constituenco in which his farm at Knapdale is situated. To get into politics he had to defeat the Hon. G. F. Richardson, a man who was in his period ono of the greatest Ministers the country had known. Mr. M'Nab held the seat until 1008, when ho was defeated by the present member, Mr. G. J. Anderson, then a man quite unknown in publicr affairs.

On his entry into the House Dr. M'Nab was marked by the older heads in politics, and by political writers or tho day as a young man of promise,; and the forecast proved , a correct one. In 1906 he joined the ftlinistry when it) was reconstructed by Sir Joseph Ward, on the death of Mr. Soddon, and he held office ■■until ho lost his scat in theHouse in 1908. As Minister of Lands, he introduceda Land Bill in 1906 which created a greater stir in the House and in the country than, any measure which had come before Parliament .in several years. The Bill did not pass in its then shape, but in the following year some of its provisions wore enacted. For this measure and the proposals it contained. Dr. M'Nab fought very strenuously in I Parliament and also in a campaign throughout the 1 country. It was on tho leasehold versus freehold issue that the election of 1908, ite which Dr. M'Nab was defeated by Mr* Anderson for the Mataura seat, was fought. Perhaps this was not thrt deciding factor in the contest, but ifc was at least a very important faotor--There were other factors, as those- who saw the fight at close range know. It was not until 1914 that DγM'Nab again entered tho House, this time as member for Hawke's Bay, for which seat he defeated the sitting member, Mr. Hugh Campbell. When theNational Government was being formed in 1915, it was understood that Dr. M'Nab had informed Sir Joseph Wan? that he did not wish to accept office in that Ministry, but at the last'momenta Sir Joseph Ward, prevailed upon him to allow his namo to go forward to His Excellency the Governor; Later, when. Sir Joseph Ward went witli_ Mr. Massey to England, he appointed Dr.M'Nab as his deputy as head of the. Liberal section of the Cabinet. '

After leaving college, Dr. M'NaK began to take an interest in the volunteer movement, and his interest in Defence- matters ho retained for hisf' wholo life. In 1887 lie was appointed to command the North Dunedin Rifles» which command he hold until he re» moved to Invercargill. Ho hecama very well k'nown in Invorcargill as one of the best rifle shots in the town, and was the winner; of many matches.. Later he took up activo work as a volunteer again, being captain of the G Battery o£ Artillery at Invercargill.In politics the Defence administration was never his especial care, but during the period that he was out- of the House after, the 1908 elections he, with the Hon. J. Allen, conducted a campaign in favour of compulsory service.The Dcfonce Act, which is tho basis of our present Territorial Army and Cadet training system, was passed in 1909.' In this war. he was, as soon as the question became a live one, » supporter of conscription for service abroad. In the recess, afteF the formation of tho National Government in 1915, Dr. M'Nab mado a recruiting tour of the South'lsland. His experience on that tour convinced him fully; that the country was ripe forcompul' sory service, and l he was thereafter a) staunch supporter of the Military Service Bill, which became law last session.

Outside of politics. Dr. M'Nab's chief interest has been in historical research. Tho task he set himself was to compile a. history of New Zealand for the period anterior to the Treaty of Waitangi, the period about which least wag known. Part of the result of his researches is contained in his book, "Murihiku and the Southern Islands," and iu "The New Zealand Historical Records," which ho lias edited. The work was not complete, however, and Dr. M'Nab was still engaged-upon ii>recently. His investigations of early! records took him more than once abroad , into several countries, and' involved the expenditure of much painstaking effort, and also of much money. His 'works are by far the most important of their kind that have been published concerning New Zealand. To the future chroniclers of this country, to the writers of the morrow, who will one day tell of the coming of the white man to these inlands, Dr. M'Nab's work will be of priceless value. Dr. M'Nab was the first graduate to receive the degree of Doctor of Literature from the New Zealand University,very soon, after the University Senate had power under the charter to grant this degree. The work which Dr. M'Nab presented when applying for the degree was his hook "Murihiku." MEBSACE FROM MR. MASSEY. The Acting-Prime Minister (Hou. J.Allen) has received a cablegram from the Right Hon. \\. P. Massey in London expressing his deep regret at the death of his colleague. Mr. Massey; added that at. the time of cabling Sir Joseph Ward was out of town. FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS. The members of the Ministry will accompany the body of their late colleague from the residence of Mr.- A. H. Turnbull, Bowen Street, to the ferry steamer this afternoon, the cortege leaving tho house at 5.40, and it is hoped that a largo number of the general public, as well as friends of the deceased, will take this opportunity of. paying a last tribute of respeot to one who in bo many directions has rendered such distinguished public service. The interment will take place on Wednesday morning in the Invercareill cemetery, where the late Dr. M'Nab's parents," with other members' of the family, laid,