BREECHES BARRED

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 50, 22 November 1917, Page 9

BREECHES BARRED

— 4- "■ • NEW CAMP ORDER REGULATION UNIFORM TO BE WORN

' "No soidipr of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force of the rank of company sergeant-major or under, either ot the homo service branch or foreign serv'ico. branch, will .he permitted to wear the under-mentioned articles of clothing,'oxccpt of the authorised regulation pattern, and specification: Jacket's, trousers, breeches, boots, puttees, hats, caps, pugar.qes;" rims a notice in (icneral Orders. The instruction is another official' attempt to make tho iVe-iv Zealand infantryman wear the regulation "slacks," issued to him on his arrival in camp, instead of the neater and smarter breeches that ho generally hastens to purchase for himself. The Defence authorities have winked at the general wearing of breeches by the infantrymen in the past, but they feel that there are reasons why tho use of the regulation garments should be insisted upon pow. Tho married men will be goine into camp soon, and in very many cast's they will be giving nearly all their pay to their doppndants, retaining for themselves only a few shillings weekly as pockct money. The.v, or their dependants, would find the purchase' of breeches a hardship; yet, it will bo difficult for one man to avoid the expenditure if his comrades mako it, because the man with Itlio breeches admittedly has the smarter appearance, and appearance counts for a great deal in military life. If the trousers as issued are worn by all, there will be no hardship to anybody. Tho trousers are to be worn turned down over the top of the puttees. The objection commonly urged by the men against the regulation trousers is that they aro ungainly in appearanco and poorly cut. Tho trouble was accentuated by tho cloth puttees issued until recently in the New Zealand camps, since these puttees were stiff and intractable. Woven puttees of a very much hotter pattern are now being provided. Referring to tho cut of the trousers, a Defenco officer stated yesterday that there was no ground 'for complaint if tho garments _wero worn operly, that was, turned down for several inches over the top of the puttees. The officers of certain British regiments woro "slacks" in this fashion, and they could not bo accused of lack of smartness. If a soldier's uniform did not fit him in any respect, ho .could apply at the quartermaster's storo for a change, or, failing that, ho could have tho garment altered by one ot ■ the tailors doing business in tho camps. The cost of having both tunic and trousers made to fit accurately would be very much less than tho price of a pair of breeches, and tho result would not merely bo smart, hut would bo in accordance with Imperial regulations. There is nothing in the regulations to prevent a soldier having his whole uniform made bv his own tailor, providing that tho garments are of tho authorised pattern and'specification. Tho Australian infantryman's uniform includes breeches, and comparisons have boon made unfavourable to New Zealand. The fact is that tno Australian authorities designed a uniform of their own, and tliey seem to have had regard to the advantage of breeches from the point of view of ths recruiting officer. New Zealand followed the War Office regulations in the preparation of specifications for the uniforms.. .