THE KILT QUESTION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1122, 9 May 1911, Page 6

THE KILT QUESTION.

THE DEFENCE MINISTER'S DESIRE. IiETAIN, NOT REJECT. The Acting-Minister for Defence, the Hon. G. Fowlds, stated yesterday that no regulation, and no order had ever emanated from the Department which could be'construed into the abolition of the kilt in the New Zealand Highland regiments. ' General Godley, he proceeded, on first arriving in the Dominion, had intimated that for the present there would be no objection to the kilt being worn in private company drill or on full-dress occasions. "This question," the Minister continued, "has not yet been considered, nor will it be until the whole force has fir.st been clothed in its working service uniform, and, in tho meantime, the above decision holds good. We are anxious to do anything we can to preserve tho identity and individuality and esprit de corps of all units which were in existence before .the new scheme came into force, but thero are very great difficulties concerning tho question of full dress which will have to be faced wheii tho question comes, to be considered; difficulties which have to be considered from the point of view of the whole Army, and not from that of individual companies.

"It is not a question of wearing or not wearing • the kilt. Everyone would be glad to see kilted battalions in the New Zealand Army and the General has already been considering the possibility of starting one. One of ths difficulties as regards tho kilt, as it is now worn, is that in every other army in the world without exception, all companies in a battalion are, and should be, dressed alike; and we aro naturally anxious that the New Zealand Army should not be held up to ridicule by the rest of the world because our battalions on a fulldross parade present a motley appearance. There ale other difficulties such as the desirability of allowing Individuals, under a system of universal training to be put to the expense of purchasing a uniform which is so very much more expensive than that which will be provided by the' State;' also the difficulty of the transfer, of officers, N.C.O.'s, and men from one'company to another of the "battalion..

_ "Under the new system, the organisation will bo a battalion one, and promotions will be made on the battalion rolls anil not by companies, except in the case of outlying companies in country districts whero it will not bo possible to do otherwise. Transfers from one company to another will therefore bo frequent, and it is manifestly impossible to expect any individual, to provide himself with two kinds of uniform in one battalion. This is always supposing that in the future any full-dress at all is allowed.

"This is entirely a question of money, and glad though we should all be to see full dress and kilted battalions, it remains to be seen in the future, after the Army has got its .working dress, whether it will be possible to have it or not. In the meantime, if tho people who have started this agitation would endeavour to apprcciato tho difficulties with which we are faced, and would devoto their energies to helping us to overcome them, instead of embarrassing us at the most critical period of the inception of the new scheme, we-should bo sincerely gratified. I cannot think that they realise how much unnecessary work is thrown upon the Defence Department by their rushing into print and holding public meetings about a • question, on which they could bo reassured in a moment if they would ask about it at headquarters, and on which wo should be very, glad to have their views and help when the timo for considering it comes. In tho meantime, t here is nothing to prevent the companies who have Highland uniforms from wearing them on their company parades and in full-dress; there is not the slightest necessity for them to leave any kilts lying oh the- wharves. ' And I hope in the futuro that we may be able to devise some satisfactory scheme by which' tho kilt can be retained in the New Zealand' Army."