HOSPITAL UNIFORMS

Evening Star, Issue 16990, 12 March 1919, Page 7

HOSPITAL UNIFORMS

DISLIKED BY SGLDIEB&

[Special to the ' Stab^

CHRISTCHURCH, March' 12. There has been an interesting development in connection with a garden party given by His Excellency the GovernorGeneral and Her Excellency Lady Liverpool, at " Elmwood " yesterday afternoon. It is understood that 60 soldier patients l were invited to be present, but the great bulk of them yesterday morning intimated to the hospital authorities that they would not attend. The trouble' arose through the fact-,that the men were informed by Major S. W. Walliß, who was acting in charge in the absence of Lieutenant-colonel Wylie, that they must attend in their blue hospital uniforms. The wearing of this uniform has never been taken to kindly by the men, and they practically unanimously stated that, whilst appreciating the kindness of! their Excellencies for the invitation, they would not attend if it was necessary to do ao in "blue." A reporter conversed with several of the men. They stated that they had been invited to attend the function, but in common with their comrades would not be present owing to the trouble above stated. A big grievance with them was that officers undergoing treatment could*attend in their ordinary lchaki uniforms. "Look at the fit of this," said one blue-clad man. " TSiis is what they expect me to wear." The uniform did not fit. 'Several others referred to the ill-fitting nature of their garments, and all made complaint aboiit the white fronts of the uniform. It was impossible' to keep these clean. The fronts of the uniforms of the men seen certainly erred on the grubby side, and whilst they wero not particularly vain they objected to wearing "dirty" clothes at a garden party. One man explained, in reply to a question, that officers did not wear the blue hospital uniform at any time, and this distinction was resented. It would 1 appear that the present invitation tended to emphasise this resentment.