DR. NEWMAN AND MR. M'NAB

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 62, 10 September 1912, Page 3

DR. NEWMAN AND MR. M'NAB

TO THB EDITOB. Sir,— l have just received a copy of your issue of 26th ultimo, with a letter, dealing with myself over ,the signature, A. K. Newman, which I ask; your permission to reply to. ' ■ I have carefully gone through the letter, and have failed' to find one true i statement in it ■ regarding ' myself. I never arranged with the Ward or any other Government that the State should publish my new book. As a' matter of fact, my new book was almost ready for publication, and, since I came here, was burnt in the big fire in Lambton-quay. Having commenced with a statement devoid of fact, of course all the argument from it goes by the board. Why should any of the *cost fall upon me?. If. is not my book. Originally, I was asked to edit the Historical Records for the Government, and have done so, and have gone to the trouble of collecting them and preparing them for the printer, without any reward. The publication "is of ncj help to me, excepf'to add to my labours. It is purely* a Government publication, for the editing of which they have not been called upon to pay. I quote the/ position here (in Sydney). Some years ago the Historical Records were collected, at immense expense, 'and eight volumes were printed. The work then, ceased, although literally tons of material, collected and ready fur the 'editor, remained to be printed. Last month, of such great importance did the Federal Government consider the publication, the scheme, was revived, and an editor appointed at £150 per volume to get the material printed and completed. Imagine the material not collected, and place on that editor the task of getting it together without clerical assistance, at a time when he is engaged tin , a work of his own, and the whole thing honorary, and you have the New Zealand case. Of course, the answer would be that no man would do it on these terms. Yet these are the terms on which the New , Zealand Historical Records are being, published. And according to Dr. Newman, the editor should pay for any deficiency On the realised sales. 1 am glad to hear that, Dr. Newman has no delusions. Without his own assertion to that effect I would bave thought otherwise. I have a hazy recollection of some ideas promulgated before this present session of Parliament on the qualifications of certain members thereof for leadership, which ideas have since proved to be what I would call delusions. And) if my memory serves me right, Dr. Newman had them bad. Let us hope that in going into tho distant past, to write on the "Origin of the Maori," where there are none to contradict him, the Doctor will prove more accurate than he did a fortnight ago, when he dealt with the " Origin of the £640."— 1 am, etc' ROBERT M'NAB. Sydney, 2nd September, 1912. '