McNAB RESEARCHES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 146, 7 November 1912, Page 6

McNAB RESEARCHES

POSITION STATED IN THE HOUSE. Just before the House of Representa- > tives adjourned on Saturday afternoon, r \ Mr, G. W. Russell directed' tile attention ' of.the Prime Minister to the report of r an Invercargill interview with the Hon. 3 Mr. McNab from which it appeared'that Mr. McNab intended to cease editing the New Zealand historical records on 3 account of allegations which had been 3 made in the House. * Mr. Russell said that it would be a very regrettable thing if Mr. McNab discontinued his noble and patriotic work '• J and asked the Prime Minister what ac- " : tion he intended to take. Mr. Massey said that he appreciated—- " and no one more than he did—the work that had been, and was being, done by , Mr. McNab. So far as clearing up the fi implication made by one of the members Y earlier in the session (that Mr. McNab I had been paid for his work) was cone cerned, everything that it was possible - to do had been done. The matter had been discussed at length, Ministers had r expressed their opinions, and a return i had been laid on the table showing that e Mr. McNab had not received a single - 'copper for the valuable work which he t had done for New Zealand in connection 1 with historical research. If there were ■ anything more that he could do, the s Prime Minister stated, in conclusion, he i would be only too glad to do it. His imi pression from reading the published int terview with Mr. McNab was that the s latter was not fully informed as to what - had been said in Parliament. ; The Hon. F. M. B. Fisher said that s he had written to Mr. McNab informing - him that Cabinet had granted the sum c required for the publication of his book i and expressing regret that an inaccurate - statement had been made by one member ■ of the House. He had forwarded to Mr. 3 McNab a copy of the Hansard report of 1 the discussion in the House on the subi ject of his work and a copy of the re- • turn mentioned by the Prime Minister. I It seemed to him that everything posi sible had been done. 1 In a concluding refevence to the subEject Mr. Russell said that in his opinion i if the Prime Minister, with the mark 1 and prestige of his position, approached L Mr. McNaJb, the latter could be induced f to continue his work of historical re- , search.—Dominion.