MORE ABOUT KILTS

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1138, 27 May 1911, Page 5

MORE ABOUT KILTS

mr.,:fowlds besieged,

CURRENT PLEA OF SENTIMENT,

NON-COMMITTAL REPLY,

The Acting-Minister for Defence (the Hon. G. Fowlds) was yesterday afternoon interviewed by a deputation regarding tho suggested discontinuance of tho Scottish dress in the Highland corps in New Zealand. ' The deputation, which wjis composed of representatives of tJio Scottish community in Weilington. and tho local Highland Corps, was introduced by Mr, A. L. flmlruan, Mr. Hcrdman's Remarks. Mr. Hcrdman said that tho "section of. the community represented by tho deputation were considerably disturbed because they understood that it was proposed by tho Defence Department that tho kilt should lie dispensed with, Tho , kilt had been the national garment ol'-' Scotland for many years; it was also the dress of some of tho Scottish regiments in the Old Country; and all wcmT proud of tho kilt company, we had in tins city. It was his ilutv to brjiig under iho notice of the Mmietor' this fact: 'J hat many of the men be-! onging to the company remained mem-! bers out of sentiment moro than any-i tliwig else; that many of them were over the ago laid down in the Defence! Act; and, if the kilt wore abolished:! altogether many of these men who now 1 gave their services principally out of", sentiment for the nation, and out of] regard to tho uniform, would leave tho! CM-ps. He would also mention the fact' that kilt uniforms had been recently orderod from tho Old Country, and had" now reached here. The company had entered into an obligation for their l , purchase, and, if the Defenco Department wcro determined to (jbolish tho kilt, these- uniforms would uow be' practically useless. Tho Mayor's Appeal, The Mayor (Mr. T. M. Wilford) said that it seemed superfluous to point out , to a Scotchman the necessity of keeping up part of the traditions of the nation to which the Minister belonged. They might just as well suggest to natives of Scotland that they should do away with porridge. (Laughter.) Was the scheme of tho Government to' bo allowed to alienat-e tho sympathy and support of tho adult population v.-lio had ever plnyod a strong part indefence? If it wcro bo, and lie was. euro it was not, this was the way it would bo done. Because the fathers, who had been in these corps were now forced, under tho present law, to put their sons into the Territorials, and, if , it. wero found that they were to havo their enthusiasm damped by a refusal*, to allow them to servo in their national;; dross, then a good deal of harm would ! be done. I A Spirited Protest, i Mr. W. Dobson said that tho pro- ) posal of tho Defence Department was.' enough to take a Scotchman's breath' away. He was present as honorary secretary of the ox-Members' Association. Ho spoke of a meeting which tho association had held, when strong and unanimous feeling had been shown. , Ifc was only right to mention, also, that a proposal to hold a public meeting of protest in tho Town Hall had not been, encouraged simply because, in a- matter ■ of this kind, they , * did not do'siro any 'demonstration.. They preferred to mako their voice hcariV (jif.jctly., Ho wont on to say that tho Wellington Highland. Corps did not now exist. It was simply No. S Company of the battalion. A notice had been posted up in the Drill Hall saying that four non-ofikors • wero to ba drafted into other companies., Ono' officer had been eleven years ill the corps. Sentiment Against It, Mr. J. G. .\V. Aitken said, that tho sentiment of the Scottish people was' entirely against doing away with tho: kilts. | He recalled tho outcry against , a similar proposal at Homo and the decision of the 'authorities, in consequence, to allow tho kilts to be worn. Tliis protest in New Zealand was not merely a little storm in a tea-cup. Mr. L. M'Kcnzie pointed out that if the older men left tho corps somo of '. tin? best-trained soldiers would bo lost,; because it was impossible for young fcl- : lows to learn in a short time all that ' the older men knew Mr. D. M'Litrcn, M.P., spoke as anofficer of the Wellington Scottish Society and voiced the feeling of that body. The deputation was quiet, but determined. Ho foretold that tho, military scheme would not be a success' in tin's country if men' were going, to bo treated as mnchiiU's without regard, tw nentiment and racial characteristics. Mr. R. Fletcher (chairman of tho Harbour Roald) expressed sympathy. with the movement and was sure tho matter could bo left with t'ho Minister. MINISTER'S REPLY. Tho Minister, in replying, said that as a Scotchman his sympathies wero entirely with tho kilts,, and tho continued use of the uniform. When ho saw in the press of the agitation which the proposal had caused, lie in adp inquiry from the Department because- it had not been sanctioned by him. Ho. had consequently made a statement which had been published. This state-, nient had appeared to him to by satis-, factory and rras apparently also satisfactory to tho Scottish Secicty, because he iiad received a letter from the secretary t<l Unci effect. Tlio position was. unaltered as far an he was concerned. Ykefo.ivns resilj nothing ho could add to that staienii'iit. lie understood thaj;' the providing of a dross uniform for» tho (Jql'fJicc i'erccs was still a long way off. TUe_ present iwed was an every-' day working garb-for tjie efficient train-< im; of the men. Referring to ono speaker's remarks ho sqid it was abso-' lutely necessary to have an easy transfer of officers and ivcii from one company to nnotker; and a difficulty would arise in tin's case if the Highland regiments wero to retain their uniform.

Replying to 'in interruption from Mr. M'liarcn, Mr. Fowlds said it was intended to transfer the officers and men about the companies. Mr. Wilford: Docs that mean that General Godley is to settle it?

Mr. Fowkis: General Godley lias been brought out here for the purpose of training the forces, and if ho finds it is necessary that officers should be transferred from one company to another it is no use a Minister saying it is not to bo (lone, otherwise there would bo a cry of political influence iii tht> defence force. The Minister continued that if there- were a full regiment of Highlanders, tho same difficulty, perhaps, would not exist. Ho did not think there was any special interference- with tho wearing of tho kilts at present. Thar could be worn at special parades. But tho clothing of the Territorials in khaki was n question that had to be faoed by iiio Government.

Mr. Herdinan: Has General Godlcy issued any instructions?

The Minister: Xo. That is the latest information I hare had from him. It js apparently a battalion order. Nothing has been published in the regula-. lions.

Mr. Dobson: Will tho FTighJanders bo allowed to parade in full chess on Coronation Day? H,c also askod if men 'transferred- could also l>o brought back to the company on that day.

The Minister said )io was not going to inlorl'cvc, as Minister, with the bringing back of officers from one company to another. Ho would see, as far as possible, that for tbc parade on Coronation Day the Highland companies would have an opportunity of appearing in their Highland dress. ■