The Helena independent., 1894-11-20
THE PAY OF THE ARMY.
Suggestions That an Increase Should Be
Made for Nom Commissions Officers.

Washington. Nov. 19.-The hope is ex-
pressed that congress, at the coming
session. may look into the question OF
increasing the pay OF the enlisted men
OF the army. and particularly OF the
non-commlssioned officers OF the line.
The military authorities have often
urged this matter. and In the current
report OF Adjt.-Gen. RSggles he strong
ly advises an increase, with a proper
readJustment. He recommends that
the privates OF the line should hereafter
receive SIS per month instead OF $l3 on
enlistment. as now. The pay OF cor
porals he would fix at s25 whereas in
the line they now receive only SIS n
month during the first two years To
sergeants, who now receive SIS month
for the first two years, he would give
S35. To first serGeants and sergeant
majors, the former OF whom receive I'm
the line S25 n month for the first two
years and the latter s23, he would give
$50 month. To the band musicians he
would give s25 whereas the ordinary
musician now receives Si3.
These are increases so great that It "a
not az all probable that they will find
favor with congress; but perhaps set
ting the new standard so high may be
more likely To secure consideration for
q compromise One point which may
receive attention is the necessity OF
closer equalizlng OF pay in proportion
10 rank and duties. And. as Gen. Rug
giles points out, under the system OF ex-
ira duty pay and the exclusion OF the
corporal from II. the latter's total pay
In month may he less than that Of
private under his command. The
amount OF increase in the annual mp
preparation required under Gen. Rug
gles' system is put at 100000.
1t must be borne I'm mind that con-
gress has recently done something In
this direction. The act Of Feb. 27. .'lSg3,
Increased the pay OF first sergeants
from S22 to S2i, and that OF sergCantB
from sl7 To SlS. But unfortunately the
scrgcant-maIor was overlooked In that
law. He now gets, rs has been said
S23. or y less than the FIRST sergeant
whom he outrRnks Gen. Williams
pointed out that this discrepancy ought
not to exist. aud Gen. RuRglcs now re-
pcats the opinion on that subject.
IL Va admitted that In recent years the
duties and responsibilities OF non-com-
nilsFioned officers have been increased
H. various ways, particularly by the new
drill regulations and the open-order for
nations for battle. More depends upon
the sergeant and corporal than in for
rer years, and Il becomes all the more
necessary TO secure "a high degree Of
qualification and ability In these officers.
Last year Col T., r. Swayne Twenty
second infantry, and Col. G., n. Carl,
ton Eighth cavalry, pointed out the
| need of increasing the pay OF sergeant
majors, tho latter observing that both
| they aud tho regimcntul quartermastcr
scrEcpnts are selected from the frat
aergcants as promolNI Col @. =.
Poland Seventeenth IA Iltry, thought
that the pay OF regii~ ~ntal sergeant
ma jorB and punrtcrmaster sergeRnta
| should be increased ~ al least SEQ per
month They do more work per dnV
| land are liable to perform field aoryice)
| than many general service clerks aud
| civilians In the employ OF the govern
mcnt who receive 800 per month Rqtl
upward, The pay OF each grade of non-
commissioned officers should be IN
creased also" Major Koyes conald,iol
that the pay Of FIRST sergcantg should Ice
$40 pcr month. with increase for ueryicc,
and that ~ other aergcnnis IN proper
tlon, Col, LonRdon then commanding
the First artillery, proposed $50 per
month Tor sergeant maIOra ana resi-
mental uuArtefnnstef sorgeantn, and
pointed out that the Increase OF the cont
would be slight there being only forty
Of each grade In the army. BeBl les
thoy must show high character, sobrirty
and intelligence for appointment, The
sergeant major has long hours and
needs 20 look out for great deal ~
clerical work, for which the adJutant Is