MILITARY HEADGEAR

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 74, 24 September 1927, Page 9

MILITARY HEADGEAR

USE OF EMU FEATHERS (From "The Post" Representative.) • . ' SYDNEY, lGtk Soptomber. Tho question whether any Government should countenance the use of a native bird's) feathers, in. tlio decoration of military headgear, when their use is prohibitea as articles of fashion, has cropped up in the Defence Department's reply to tho representations of tho Ornithologists' Union. Australian Light Horse men stick emu feathers in their hats. These feathers are a traditional part of their uniform, but not a few bird lovers thing the practice is as bad as that of women pluming their hats with feathers and mounted birds when that stylo of headgear was popular. The attitude of the bird lovorß is that the defence people are evading tho othical- question at issue. Merely to state that emu feathers have been worn by Queensland Light Horse men since 1891, and that in 1015 tho distinction was extended to all Australian Light Horse men, is regarded as being beside t tho point. Tho ornithologists, however, are not likely to bring about any change. A howl of protest among the Light Horse men would arise from ono end of Australia to another if they wore to lose the jaunty-looking and spectacular feathers in their hats.