Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-11-24
RAISE THEIR SALARIES.
adjutant General Rugeles Advises This
for Soldiers OF the Line.

WAsulNGToN, Nov. 1G.-The hope is
expressed that congress at the coming
session ma, ,oolk into the question of
increasing the pay of the enlisted men
Of the army. aud particularly of tho
nopcommissioned officers of the line.
The military authorities have often
urged this matter, and in the current
report of Adjutant General Ituggles
he strongly advises an increase,
with Ii proper REIMBURSEMENT. He recon-
mends that the privates of the line
should hereafter receive SIS per month
instead of Sl3 on enlistment. as now.
The pay of corporals he would fix at
S25, whereas in the line they now only
receive Sl5 "A month during the first two
years. To sergeants who now receive
Sis a month for the first two years he
would give $35. TO first sergeants and
sergeds, majors, the former of whom
receive in the line S25 a month for the
first two years, and the latter S93, he
would give $50 Il month. TO the band
musicians he would give S25, whereas
the ordinary musician now receives Sl3.
These are increases so great that it
is not at all probable that they will
find favor with congress-; but perhaps
setting the new standard so high may
be more likely to ecu consideration
for a compromise. One point which
may receive attention is the necessity
of closer equalization of pay in proper.
ton to rank and duties. And, os GEN
erGl Ruggles points out, under the
system of extra duty pay, and tho
exclusion of the corporal from ii,
the latter's total pay in n month
may be less than that of q private
under his command. Tho amount Of
increase in the annual appropriation
required under General Ruggles' sys-
tenn Is put at $500. 900. 1t must DO
borne IN mind that congress has re-
Gently done something in this direc.
ton. The act Of February ~, 1898. in
creased the pay OF first sergeants from
So TO S25, and that of sergeants from
ST. to SIS. But the sergeant major
was overlooked. He now gets as has
been said, S23. General Williams
pointed out that this discrepancy ought
tits admitted that In recent years
the duties Of noncommissioned officers
have been increased, particularly by
the new drill regulations and the open
order formations for battle. More de-
ponds upon the sergeant and the cor
pVral than in former years, and it be-
comes more necessary to secure a high
degree of qualification and ability.
The last year Colonel =. Il. Swaine,
Twenty-second infantry. and Colonel
{. II. Carlton, Eighth cavalry, pointed
out the need of increasing the pay of
sergeant majors, the latter OBJ
serving that both they and
the regimental quartermaster SER
geants are selected from tho first SER
geants us II promotion. Colonel G. 5.
Poland, Seventeenth infantry, thought
that the pay of ~regimental sergeant
majors II quartermaster sergeants
should be Increased to at least $50 per
month. They do more work per day
than many general service clerks in the
employ of the government who getSl0O
per month. The pay of each grade of
noncomInissioned officers should be in
creased also.
Major Reyes considers that the paw
of first sergcants should be $40 per
month, with increase for service, and
that of sergeants in proportion. Colonel
Langdon, then commanding the First
artillery, proposed $50 per month for
~ '''h ''JCAp az ! IuuEb tT-
master sergeants, and pointed out that
the increase of the cost would be slight,
there being but forty Of each grade.
Besides, they must show high charac-
ter for appointment. The sergeant
major has long hours, and needs to
look out for IA great deal of clerical
work for which the adjutant Is respon-
sihle TO the colonel, and he has the
daily guard mounting and the battalion
parades, inspection and drills.
Perhaps the present anomaly in re-
spect to the pay Of these two regimen
tai staff officers can be at least cor
rected. 1t is not. Of course, claimed
that the pay for enlisted men in this
country is low compared with that of
foreign service, but the paw of civil oc-
equations in foreign countries must also
De taken into cOmnorisOn