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Showing posts with label military tartans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label military tartans. Show all posts

Thursday, June 03, 2010

Parliamentary Debate in 1908

While searching through Google Books recently, I found a transcript of The Parliamentary debates (Authorized edition), Volume 191. Within it was a small debate over where the cloth for the military was to be woven, from a 2 July, 1908, session. Given the recent debates over the production of tartan cloth for the Royal Regiment of Scotland, I thought my readers may find this "blast from the past" interesting.
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pg. 948
Manufacture of Scottish Tartans.
*Mr. REES (Montgomery Boroughs): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether the cloth of which the uniforms of Scottish regiments are made is manufactured by and purchased from Scottish manufacturers; and, if so, whether the like treatment will be accorded to manufacturers in Wales in respect of the uniforms of Welsh regiments.

Mr. ACLAND: Highland tartan for the Army is made exclusively in Scotland. Should any Welsh manufacturers desire to tender for Army cloths, the War Office will be glad to receive applications.

*Mr. REES: Is the hon. Gentleman aware that a strong impression prevails in Wales that the Scottish by some superior craft or subtlety get better terms in this respect?

Mr. ACLAND: I do believe they make the cloth better.

Major ANSTRUTHER-GRAY: Are we to understand that Scottish tartan is to be made in Wales?

Mr. ACLAND: If the Welsh could make any cloth good enough, we should be glad, I think, to buy it from Wales.

*Mr. LEIF JONES (Westmoreland, Appleby): Will the War Office take care to procure the best cloth for this purpose at the least possible cost?

Mr. ACLAND: Certainly.

*Mr. REES: Is the hon. Gentleman aware that in Wales he can obtain those conditions?

Mr. WATT (Glasgow, College): It is in Scotland that those conditions prevail.

An HON. MEMBER: And is this the United Kingdom!