OUR VETERANS ON PARADE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 644, 22 October 1909, Page 3

OUR VETERANS ON PARADE.

■ SOME STRANGE EXPERIENCES. , 3 SHOULD THEY .WEAR UNIFORMS? r At the annual meeting of the New Zealand ■ Association of His Majesty's Veterans, held in • the Town Hall yesterday, Cplonql Porter raised ' the question of the indistinctiveness of the r veterans at ceremonial parades. Whenever ' they turn out there is always a good deal of I confusion and bustling as far as 'the veterans , are concerned. He would suggest .that they . should wear a uniform, a cap, or badge, so as ' to distinguish them in some way from the • crowd. Personally, he would like to. see • veterans of tho army parade in,a scarlet coat, • with cap to match, and the naval veterans in a ' navy blue coat and cap, It was only proper . that other troops should see that those who 3 had served their country were 1 on parade and s honoured for- the services which they had • rendered. ■•■..>'•■ . • > : Mr. Urwin 6aid that Colonel Porter was ap- . parently unaware that the Wellington branch ; i had, approached the Government on the. matter . some time,ago, but, after their application t hart been considered for a time, the Govern- - ment dismissed it altogether— pooh-poohed it, as '. a matter., of fact. . :.■;::.- ;-■ ■ ■ . ; One member pointed out that they had the , woollenl mills handy. .Perhaps these would . supply a roll of cloth for uniforms free oi . cost. ... Sergeant Christie remarked that there always V seemed to be a doubt as to where veterans on ! parade should be. On the last''occasion, .on. . which he had charge of veterans on parade no place was allotted them in the line. :He there- » fore consulted the adjutant, who replied that :. he would see him (the speaker) later. But he e had no time Inter, and so % he had placed them ■. behind the band. Tho same trouble had hap- & pened at the Park—no consideration was' ever 1 shown'in allotting places for-theni. ■■.! ■:'': ■. .■'.' i. Colonel Newall mentioned'that he once got a into trouble over the veterans with a one--0 time commandant—Colonel Pole-Pentori. At one parade, Colonel Penton.had eaid- to him a when he was Commajidnnt of the District; "I t don't want any. of those veterans on parade." 1 "Oh, ,don'f you," paid Colonel Newall, "but I do, and they're to be in the place of 1 honour at the head of the column." And ■it n 'was so'; but, if,he had not been a etrong man - and/ thought" a good deal of himself, ho would y have been "snuffed out." Colonel Newall added r that the idea of uniforms presented difficuli. ties. Who'was to, pay. for the'frock coats? g He had assisted several veterans to draw their :pensions, and he knew, that many of them t could' not afford to paj for. uniforms.. j It y was all very well for some of them who could t afford to boy < clothes, but were . they, who I, eat round the taßle in solemn conclave, preo paired tor pay. for the, uniforms, of others? ...In i- .hie opinion,: something , more: practical' was' wanted than the mere proposal to have a t> veteran's uniform. ~ Mr.' May thougfit that. the veterans should tl have a uniform. He'suggested serge frock coiite,; with distinguishing badges. •-. . [. Colonel Porter,- after replying, moved:' "That y this association considers'it desirable that the s veterans throughout the Dominion should havo s a distinctive, uniform for purposes of diEtin- : finishing them on ceremonial parades, such imio forms to be a blue frock coat and uniform capj ■s scarlet facings for the Army and royal blue i, facings for the Navy." This was agreed to, ,