MR R. McNAB.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13938, 25 June 1909, Page 2

MR R. McNAB.

HIS FUTURE MOVEMENTS. AND PAST DOINGS. Few though their number niiiy be, there are tliose with whom work is a habit and who take to it as though it were the natural and only function of life. One such personage is to be found in Mr llobert McNab, ex-Miuis-ter for Lauds, who though no longer a Minister of the Crown, or even an M.l\, still labours in the cause of his country as. assiduously as ever, and this without fee or hope of monetary reward. For the past few mouths as every one knows, his activities have been directed towards securing a better defence of the Dominion, and he is now about to set sail for Home and other lands in pursuit of further information for the publication upon which he is engaged in connection with the early history of New Zealand. It is this work which Mr McNab likes best of all, and as he was passing passing through Timaru yesterday on his way to Gore, one of our representatives had an interesting chat with him on the subject. Having no private secretary to conduct his correspondence the ex-Alinister was found hard at work in his carriage with bimne.ss communications relative to his research work, but with his customary courtesy he found time to receive the pressman. Asked where he proposed to go in search of further information, Mr McNab said he was going first to Hobart, and then on to Melbourne and Sydney.. He explained that in the early days Hobart did a lot of trade with New Zealand in sealing and whaling, and there was a very good record office in Hobart, to which he was going tins time to go through all the records there, in addition to the whaling trade between Hobart and New Zealand, there was also an American and an English whaling trade. The work lie had most complete so far was that in relation to bydney and America. He had a lot of French matter to get yet —the genesis of the French-Akaroa settlement —which Lad never been given to the world. There was in the early days, a small French fleet engaged in the whaling trade Jiere, particularly at .Banks Peninsula, and lie wanted to see whether Jie could tap tins source of supply. There were also French men-of-war on the coast, whose logs, he presumed were dealt with like tliose of our own licet. Then also there was the incident with the French and the Maoris at the Chathams, the French version of which had never been obtained. He wanted to ascertain whether the early sea captains sketched the coast line and sent their sketches to the hydrographer at the office of the British Admiralty. He desired to i.'xainine these and jjet photos of them. At the same office lie wanted to see the first charts of our. habours made by the skippers of early day,-.. Further, he wanted to look over the commercial correspondence with the Departments of State and individuals. Mr McNab said that I,he book would be published soon after his return to New Zealand. He expected to have the copy ready when he landed back here, which would probably be in March or April of. next year. .Asked as to.the cost - of all this feareh work Mr McNab said it could not be done without money. "Outside of horse racing," he observed with a smile " I don't know a more expensive hobby than collecting historical

records. When finished tho book will be solil at a, price merely sufficient to cover the bill for printing." Questioned oh the subject of his defence campaign, Mr McNab said lie was more than satisfied with the result of it. He had met witli a success far beyond that which he anticipated when he first set out. Me had been prepared to meet some considerable opposition, but beyond the opposition of Wellington city he had failed to encounter any throughout the twentyfour other places at which he had spoken. ; He had not spoken at any more places by reason of the fact that he had no time to do so. He Had accepted invitations to speak _at twentyfive centres, and had declined thirty for lack of time.. At all the places where he had spoken committees had been formed and they made the necessary local preparations, indicating more "than ordinary local enthusiasm. Invitations had beeii. sent to him by Borough Councils, County Councils, Defence Leagues, and various organisations representing numbers of people. He would not say that all were, from the first, favourable to his scheme, but all were anxious to hear it discussed, and Jie thought the feci inn left behind, was that some material change in the direction of universal service, must shortly be put on tho Statute Book. His best meeting had been at Wanganiii, where there was such a crush that the fittings had to be taken off the stage to make room, for the people. His second best meeting was at Christchurch where a great deal of enthusiasm was also shown. Asked about the Swiss system of military service, Mr McNab said that they started there with the youth when at school and retained them right through manhood. He did not propose such a binding scheme for New ?'e;iland, but suggested that the compulsory period should begin at the commencement of a youth's eighteenth year, and finish at the end of his twentieth year. Under the present system we were only putting out N 3OOO men with a semblance of training every year 1 , while under the system he pro-, posed wo would put out 10,000 a year. Thus at the end of three years we would have 30,000 men in training, and this number would increase with the population. Many would volunteer to remain on after the close of the compulsory period, and if his proposal were' adopted they would have an additional 10,000 men the first year. He did not approve of pressing old and yound into service unless it were absolutely necessary as this would paralyse "business, and some must be Jelt to produce tho food supply. , In conclusion, Mr MeNAb said that if when he returned, the subject had not been dealt with by Parliament, .-li would continue this campaign next autumn, and bring into the di.=cu«wion the additional information which ho hoped to obtain in England and abroad. He intended to vis.t Switzerland, and to be' present >at the autumn manoeuvres there. _ On. matters of general polities Mr McNab defined to be drawn, saying that he was out of them now, and had no "public" opinions.