HISTORICAL RESEARCH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 83, 24 August 1912, Page 5

HISTORICAL RESEARCH.

ALLEGED PAYMENT TO MR. McNAB. CHARGE REFUTED IN PARLIAMENT. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent) Wellington, Last Night. The charges made by Dr. Newman in his Budget speech, that the Estimates showed that Mr. R. McNab had received £SOO for his services in connection with historical research, was referred to in the House this afternoon.

Mr. Laurenson said he was sure that Dr. Newman would withdraw the statement when he knew the facts of the case. He knew for a fact that Mr. McNab had not drawn a brass farthing from the Government. Mr. McNab was now engaged in research work in Sydney. He had spent thousands of pounds in what was to him a labor of love in research, which he (Mr. Laurenson) thought would be of the utmost historical value to New Zealand, and he felt sure that Dr. Newman would withdraw a statement which reflected so seriously on a, member of the House, Replying, Dr. Newman said that on page 80 of the Estimates, under the class Internal Affairs, there was the item of £640, and £SOO the year before, paid by the Ward Government for "valuable historical documents." He asked what "valuable historical documents" meant, and he understood that it was £SOO paid to Mr. McNab for his work. He was confident that the item meant a payment of £SOO to Mr. McNab.

The Hon. F. M. B. Fisher, Minister in charge of the Government Printing Office, said that he asked the Government Printer about the vote, and he understood that the amount placed on the Estimates was for the purpose of paying the cost of printing the work, and all that Mr. McNa.b got out of it was one copy of the production. The matter came before Cabinet recently, and Cabinet came to the conclusion that the work was of such historical value that the Government ought to complete it. Mr. G. W. Eussell said that he thought the member for Wellington East would realise that he had made a mistake, and that Mr. McNab was not connected with the vote in any way.