HIGHLANDERS AND KILTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 312, 27 May 1911, Page 5

HIGHLANDERS AND KILTS.

DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER OF DEFEiNCE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. A deputation representing different Scotch organisations, including the Highland Rifles corps, waited on the Acting Minister of Defence (Hon. G. Fowlds) this afternoon to urge that the Depart ment should continue to permit kilts to be worn by Highland corps. Mr. Herdman, M.P., in introducing the deputation, said he was given to understand that if the Department did not permit the use of kilts, many members of the Highland Rifles would leave the corps. He pointed out that the Highland Rifles had sent an order home lor a supply of kilts. Mr. Wilford, M.P., said that if kilts were abolished the Department would strike at a sentiment which brought about a readiness to serve in Empire matters.

Other members of the deputation pnt forward the views of Scotchmen on the matter.

The Minister, in reply, said he had nothing to add to what had already been said in the newspapers. He understood from a letter he had received from the secretary of the association that the matter was ended. The deputation must see that they could not, from a military point of view, have one company in a bnttalion dressed differently from all the others. At the present time, the question that the Department had to face was the provision on a working basis of the khaki dress. When once they had encompassed that difficulty and the country had more money to spend, the question of providing a full-dress uniformkilts or any other form—would come up for consideration. There would be n» special interference in the meantime, he added, with companies wearing kilts. They could wear them when suitable opportunities offered, and, as far as possible, he would see that on Coronation Day Highlanders would parade in their kilts.